Chapter 35
For one glorious moment, everything was perfect. Gerald looked horrified. Mark looked like he was actively reconsidering every decision that had led him to this exact point in life. The pirate appeared moments away from simply throwing himself into the sea voluntarily.
And Spencer… he had come for her, and Spencer was a Kraken. An actual enormous, terrifying Kraken wrapped around the side of the boat like every fantasy she’d ever accidentally had after two glasses of wine had manifested into reality.
Honestly? Edith felt vindicated, she hadn’t known that the hunter was secretly a tentacle king, but there was no mistaking those eyes when he had erupted out of the water and focused on her. “Ha,” she said smugly.
Gerald slowly turned toward her. “You knew.”
Edith grinned viciously. “No,” she admitted. “But in hindsight, I should’ve guessed when he kept staring at me like I personally invented joy.”
The sea churned violently around the boat. Spencer’s massive eye remained fixed on her cuffs. Possessive fury rolled off him in waves strong enough to make the water shudder. Edith felt ridiculously touched by it.
Gerald, meanwhile, appeared deeply unimpressed by the existence of giant mythical sea guardians attempting to destroy his kidnapping yacht.
Rude.
“You cannot seriously believe this changes anything,” Gerald snapped.
Dave let out a low sound somewhere between a laugh and a growl. The boat rocked violently as one of his massive tentacles rose slowly from the sea beside them.
Enormous suckers lined the underside. Each one larger than Edith’s head. The pirate fainted immediately.
“You are on a boat,” Edith pointed out helpfully. “Surrounded by Krakens. I really think now’s the time for emotional reflection.”
Gerald ignored her completely. Of course he did. Because men like Gerald never really listened to women unless they were being obedient.
Spencer’s tentacles tightened slightly around the hull, and the wood groaned loudly as Mark swore under his breath.
Then finally, he looked at Spencer properly. At his brother. Something ugly twisted across Mark’s face. Guilt. Real guilt, this time.
Spencer stared back coldly from the water.
Edith had never seen a Kraken glare before. It was genuinely impressive.
The sea darkened around the boat as power crackled beneath the surface. Brutas moved closer slowly, ancient eyes fixed on Gerald with terrifying calm.
“You bound her,” the guardian rumbled.
The silver cuffs around Edith’s wrists burned suddenly colder. Gerald lifted his chin slightly.
“She belongs to the Smokeclaw clan.”
The temperature of the sea seemed to drop instantly. Danger rolled outward so sharply Edith physically felt it. Dave’s massive form shifted closer.
“Oh,” the guardian said softly. “You said the wrong thing.”
Gerald finally seemed to realise exactly how precarious the situation had become.
Spencer moved fast, one enormous tentacle surging upward over the railing and wrapped carefully but firmly around Edith’s waist. Gerald reacted instantly.
Magic exploded from his hands in sharp golden fire. Edith barely had time to gasp before Spencer yanked her bodily away from the railing as Gerald’s magic struck where she’d been sitting seconds earlier.
The boat exploded into chaos. Wood splintered everywhere and the pirate woke up screaming. Mark lunged forward shouting something.
Dave laughed like an absolute menace, enjoying the show far too much. Edith found herself dangling several feet above the water, held securely in Spencer’s massive tentacle.
“Okay,” she said breathlessly. “This is objectively the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Spencer made a low rumbling sound through the water. Edith decided immediately that Kraken noises were unfairly attractive.
Gerald looked furious now. Actually furious, not the composed male he wanted people to see. His carefully controlled mask cracked completely as he pointed at Spencer.
“She is promised, she is MINE!”
Brutas surged upward sharply enough to send waves crashing across the deck.
“She chose otherwise.” The force in the guardian’s voice shook the entire boat.
Gerald staggered slightly and Mark grabbed the railing hard.
Edith stared at Brutas in awe. Honestly, ten out of ten rescue experience so far. The silver cuffs still bit painfully into her wrists though, suppressing every instinctive flare of magic beneath her skin. Spencer noticed immediately. Of course he did.
His tentacle tightened slightly around her protectively before another curled carefully toward the cuffs.
Edith blinked. “Please don’t accidentally remove my arms.”
The enormous Kraken eye fixed on her, he was somehow offended.
“Sorry,” Edith muttered. “You’re very emotionally expressive for a sea monster.”
Dave barked out another laugh, loud enough to shake the water.
It was then that Mark moved suddenly. Not toward Spencer, but instead toward Gerald.
The bounty hunter grabbed the older male’s arm hard enough to stop another spell from forming. “Enough,” Mark snapped.
Everyone froze and Gerald stared at him in disbelief. “What?”
Mark’s jaw tightened. “This wasn’t the deal.”
Edith barked out a laugh. “Oh NOW you’re developing morals?”
Mark flinched slightly, allowing Gerald to yank his arm free violently.
“You stupid boy,” he hissed. “Do you have any idea what you’ve interfered with?”
“Yes,” Mark said quietly.
His gaze flicked briefly toward Spencer. Toward his brother and Edith. “And I think I made a mistake.”
It was an unexpected twist to the rescue, and then Dave ruined the moment completely by saying, “Aw. Character growth.”