Chapter 13
THIRTEEN
I refuse to go back empty handed.
She’s close. I can feel it like an itch I can’t scratch. We stumbled across a pool, the water seemingly untouched, and I would’ve thought she would have set up here. Maybe she’s smarter—stronger—than we—I—gave her credit for.
The trees offer a nice shelter, but nothing can combat the eerie silence blanketing our surroundings. The temperature continues to drop at a rapid rate, my breath getting easier to see under the glowing moon.
“Are you sure you want to stop here?” 701 asks. His voice sounds far away. My eyes search around the brush, scanning the area until I do a double-take and land on a shadowy figure by the shimmering water.
“It’s as good a spot as any,” I say. A massive splash sounds from where he had been standing, and before I can blink, he disappears beneath the surface. If I hadn’t just seen him there, I would’ve sworn he was never there at all.
“Stop fucking around. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” But 701 doesn’t respond. Instead, 306 chimes in. “We should just keep going. If she’s close, we could be going home in the morning.”
“No. We camp then detain her in the morning. That’s an order.”
306 stands up straight, cocking his head to the side. “Who put you in charge?” For fuck’s sake, I don’t have the energy for this. If I had known I’d be stuck with a bunch of egotistical assholes, I would have opted to come alone.
I sigh. “Put your dick away. This isn’t a pissing contest. If you have a problem with the order, take it up with our commander when we return.” Before he can respond, our focus shifts to the rustling water where 701 had been moments ago.
We rush over, but when the water appears still, both of our brows pinch together in question. Then 701’s head breaches the surface, and he gasps for air, flailing his arms like a godsdamn lunatic.
“Something—” He gasps before being pulled back under.
What the hell?
When he comes back up, 306 and I waste no time, each grabbing one of his arms to pull him to shore. But whatever is latched onto him is strong—really strong. 701 screams out in agony when a distinct pop sounds off, echoing off the trees and resulting in both his shoulders resting at an odd angle.
Calling on my shadows, I lasso them around his torso, and finally, with the extra help, we’re able to pull him out and onto solid ground. Long gashes shred down his calves, and blood flows down the sides. I don’t know why, but I think I’ve…
Could’ve sworn…
No, you haven’t.
Yes, I have.
No, you haven’t.
“Fuck, man. What’s down there?” 306 asks.
His previous demeanor quickly vanishes and is replaced with an awful lot of fear.
Part of me doesn’t blame him. The reality is we don’t know what kinds of creatures inhabit these woods…
or the water, apparently. But our commander sent us because we are the best of the best, and I wonder how he would react to knowing two of his top soldiers are pissing their pants over a little sea monster.
“Pull it together, 306. Whatever is out here, we’re in their territory now. However, that isn’t to say we can’t retaliate for the blatant attack.” The suggestion is hidden between the words, and while 701 withers on the muddy ground—no doubt about to get an infection—306 understands the order.
My shadows stir inside me, slithering around like snakes, excited to be set free.
I unleash them into the murky abyss, and I feel them searching, hunting, for the creature lurking beyond the depths.
A wisp of something catches my inky tentacle’s attention, drawing it to follow.
But it disappears just as fast, vanishing into the darkness again.
The water stills, completely unbothered as I lie in wait for movement. Maybe it’s also lying in wait, and I’ve gone from the hunter to the prey. Then out of nowhere, I’m hit with a ball of ice. The shards ricochet off my face and scatter around me—the only reminder I didn’t make it up.
My shadows recede back into me, settling back into my bones. 306 stares in shock, but I’m curious. Before I can say anything, 306 pushes his hands into the soil, and he begins to cover up the glistening water, bit by bit, enclosing whatever is in there along with it.
“Stop!” I yell, but he doesn’t listen. We could use the creature. All we have to do is capture it. Commander will be pleased. If we bring back a new toy, new project, that will prove my worth.
701’s breathing becomes shallow, but he’s the least of my worries. He can die knowing it was due to his own stupidity. Lashing my shadows out, they wrap around 306’s neck. “I said stop.” And he does, needing his hands to give reprieve from the growing noose.
Dropping him, he lands hard, but I don’t care. The water sings with hopes and promises, beckoning me to see what sits on its floor.
An arm abruptly shoots out of the surface, inching toward 701’s foot that rests a few inches from the edge. Lightly colored scales outline its flesh, moving up its arm until the rest slowly fades from sight.
The creature grips around 701’s ankle, hoping to drag him back under to face his demise.
But I step on the limb, not allowing it to make any further advances.
There’s a muffled cry, causing bubbles to erupt from below the water’s surface.
Cocking my head to the side, a head slowly emerges, and I’m stunned when I’m met with glowing yellow eyes.
They pulse with intensity, like the brighter they are, the more lethal it becomes.
When the face finally comes into full view, the features of the woman’s face are subtle and youthful but, at the same time, looking hard and pained.
The light steadily dims, and when it finally goes out, speckles of amber dot her hazel eyes.
I keep my shadows at the ready, keeping them floating as extensions of myself, prepared to unleash them at any moment.
If she takes it as a threat, she doesn’t show it.
Whether that’s because she’s scared and she knows she won’t win, or if she is unbothered because, to her, we’re not a threat. And that unknown keeps me on edge.
“What do we have here?” 306 tsks, taking a step toward her.
She darts her head instantly, the glow of her eyes coming back full force, and in the blink of an eye, a tunnel of water strikes toward him.
He’s hit in the chest, blown back from the force, and makes a bone-cracking smack against a tree trunk.
I’ve been sent on a mission with a bunch of Neanderthals.
She turns back toward me, ready to fire another, when I stop her. “I don’t want any trouble. We’re just passing through.” Her head cants to the side, and I have no clue if she understands what I’m saying. “We’ll be gone at first light.”
Her eyes cast down to my boot that is still firmly holding her arm in place. Reluctantly, I let go, not taking my eyes off her and keeping my extensions suspended in the air.
“Why did you pull him in?” I ask, because there’s a small part of me that thinks she understands.
That predatory glow begins to fade once more, and it looks as if she’s fighting with herself—about what, I can’t be sure.
Suddenly, she swims closer to the edge, and the moonlight casts a bright shadow over her face, letting me commit her features to memory.
The specks in her eyes are more pronounced, and the scales that I swore marred her body are gone, replaced by cool-toned, flawless skin.
Her nose and cheeks are decorated with freckles, and her hair is fiery red, highlighted with orange hues.
“I was hungry.” Her words are choppy, taking her a moment between each to form the answer. “He will die.”
I look down at 701, his breathing nearly non-existent and shallow. Black goo oozes from the lacerations, and I have no doubt she’s right. But I don’t know if it’s from infection or the venom that drips from her long fingernails.
“I can’t let him die.”
“You must. For you to live.” She pulses her yellow eyes at me for emphasis, and when she does, it’s like I’m having a hallucination. The scales return, and weird fins make their mark on either side of the throat. Then they’re gone.
I’ve never seen anything like it. “What are you?”
Her brows furrow in fury. “I shall allow you to pass if you offer me the meal.” Her voice sounds more confident, assertive in a way that wasn’t there moments ago.
I don’t say anything. Instead, I watch her grab his ankle and pull him back into the water.
His body sinks, but she stays where I can see her—or where she can see me.
“Who are you?” It catches me off guard, and for some odd reason, I have to think about it before I answer.
“763.”
“That’s not a name,” she states.
It’s not a name—she’s right. But it’s mine. Right?
Yes, it is.
No, it isn’t.
Yes, it is.
306 makes a disgruntled moan behind me, and I look over my shoulder and see he’s still moving, trying to push himself up and gain back his footing. But when I look back, the girl is gone, only the soft ripple of the surface left in her wake.
Pulling my attention back to 306, he braces himself against the tree trunk. “We leave at first light,” I tell him, not bothering with assisting with any injuries. “And stay away from the fucking water.”
At the first inkling of dawn approaching, we are on the move, not wanting to stick around longer than necessary.
306 goes on and on about telling the commander what happened when we return.
When she first surfaced, I was intrigued, noting the magnitude of praise we would receive for bringing back such a unique specimen.
But something about our interaction made me rethink that.
But I keep that to myself, hoping 306 either dies before we get back or forgets about it all together. I wouldn’t care either way.
The tree line starts to recede and opens up to a mountain range that expands beyond what I can see on my left, and the forest continues on to the right.