Chapter 14 #2
Hudson came out, smiling and maybe a little embarrassed. “Absolutely not a chef,” he said. “Not even a baker. Can just bake a few things. And not that well. Don’t look too closely because they’re not perfect. The old ovens here are awesome, though.”
They looked kinda perfect to Sawyer. Maybe not perfect by bakery standards, a bit uneven or whatever, but they were steaming fresh.
“They’re sweet buns,” he explained.
“Ohh,” Fray said. “Like Tobin’s.”
Everyone laughed and helped himself to a bun, which were delicious. They shut them all up for a minute, anyway. It was the quietest this lot had been in days. Then Sawyer remembered... “We should save some for Otis and Pania.”
“I already have,” Hudson said. “There’s more in the kitchen for them. And Beau; he’s guarding the cave.”
“Nice,” Sawyer said. He liked the two new guys.
He didn’t know them well, admittedly. He’d worked on the gardens with them, and they’d chatted a little.
They were possibly wary of Sawyer being a human and all, and coming into an established consortium can’t have been easy.
But they were unassuming, hard-working, and just nice guys.
And Hudson made a mean sweet bun, if the almost empty tray was any indication.
“While you’re all here,” Ciaran said, “Sawyer and I had a little impromptu meeting with Cern last night.”
Everyone spun to look at him, then at Sawyer. “You what?” Kellan asked.
“Okay, first of all, I apologised for yelling at him on the mountain.”
“You fucking what?” Fray snorted. “I love you, Sawyer. Don’t ever change.”
Sawyer sighed. “It was nothing. And he accepted my apology, so we’re fine. But that’s not what he came here for.”
“He came here?” Tobin asked. “When?”
“When you were all down with the babies.”
Hendrix looked at Ciaran. “When you shot back up to the surface.”
“Yes,” Ciaran said. “I felt Sawyer’s fear.”
Fray shrugged at Sawyer. “We just thought you were about to fall in again.”
Sawyer pulled back the sleeve on his casted arm, showing Fray his middle finger. “No. Cern appeared on the jetty behind me. The man needs a bell.”
Fray, Hendrix, and Dylan laughed.
“Do not say that to Cern,” Ciaran said. “Jesus.”
Kellan was the only grownup, apparently. “What did he want?”
“He wanted news on the hatchlings,” Ciaran explained. “He kinda knew they were due to hatch, or something. He was excited and pleased to hear the good news. But then he said something.”
“Oh no,” Tobin mumbled.
“What was it?” Dylan asked.
“He said there would be an unwanted visitor,” Ciaran replied. “And that it would be best to move the hatchlings to the river by the hut, today, basically.”
They were all wide-eyed, and Sawyer saw Fray reach for Tobin’s hand. “Unwanted visitor? Someone bad?” Fray asked. “Like, Lusca level of bad?”
“No, no,” Ciaran said quickly. “I didn’t get that impression at all.
Just someone, could be a passing fishing boat for all we know.
But the fact is, boats do come in, humans come into the Cove, and that’s not a great place for the hatchlings.
Not while they’re so vulnerable. Relocating them to the river by the hut is a logical move. ”
There were a few nods, a few concerned looks, but Ciaran was right, and they knew it.
“How will they get there?” Dylan asked. “They’re far too small for open water.”
“Agreed,” Kellan said.
“Definitely,” Ciaran said. “I’ll suggest going by boat,” he added, looking to Tobin. “We can put the hatchlings in a container or something. That way we will get there quicker and with much less stress. On everyone.”
“I can be ready when you are,” Tobin said.
“I’ll go down and tell Aurin and Salem now,” Ciaran said. He came over and kissed the top of Sawyer’s head. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
Sawyer watched Ciaran leave, and he could feel Fray looking at him. When he met his gaze, Fray grinned. “How can you be all sweet one minute, saying, ‘Okay’ all cute and blushing. Then the next minute, you’re yelling at Cern like he couldn’t smite you where you stood.”
Sawyer laughed, but then he thought about what Fray said. “Wait. Smite?” He looked at Tobin. “Can he do that?”
Tobin chuckled. “Wanna see the hatchlings?”
“Yes,” Sawyer said quickly, pulling his chair closer to Tobin’s. “Please. What do you need me to do?”
“Can I answer that?” Fray asked.
“No,” Sawyer replied flatly.
Tobin smiled and slid his hand onto Sawyer’s arm. “Ready?”
“So ready.”
The vision he saw behind his eyes was dark, and it took a moment for him to switch mental gears. But then he saw Aurin first, then Salem, and then... little shapes with big eyes and tiny tentacles, and next, he heard the noise... the chirping.
Sawyer sucked back a breath. “Oh my god,” he whispered. “They’re adorable.”
Then Tobin pulled his hand away, and the vision was gone with it. It took a moment before Sawyer could find the words. “Thank you.”
He refused to be sad, even though he felt it. He just wished so much he could see them.
“What’s wrong?” Tobin asked quietly.
Sawyer shook it off and gave him a smile. “Nothing,” he lied.
“Wow,” Fray said, frowning. “You really suck at lying.”
“Yeah, honesty’s a curse,” Sawyer said. He was just about to add that so was being human when his phone rang. He saw the caller ID and groaned, stood up, and walked to the door as he answered. “Morning, Inspector Hadeom. What can I do for you?”