“I push,” Adonis said. He cast another worried look at Connor’s throat before drifting toward the back of the boat. He splashed his tail, spraying Laurence with ocean water. He squeaked. “Laurence. Hold,” Adonis warned. The sweetness of it was cut short by the mocking sneer that accompanied the warning.
Luckily, Laurence was too amazed to be upset. “You know my name!”
“It’s not too heavy with the two of us?” Connor asked.
Adonis snorted.
Connor rolled his eyes. “Arrogant as always, Adonis.” He reached back to take Laurence’s oar and clipped it into place. “You’d better hold on like he said.”
Laurence copied Connor and gripped the sides of the board in both hands. Adonis had them cutting through the water in moments; despite Connor’s worry, he clearly had no issue with the added weight of Laurence. And given he added another forty-five kg to the board, Connor was impressed. He wouldn’t say as much; Adonis seemed to have an ego regarding physical strength.
As they cut through the water, the only sign of life aside from themselves was the ugly shipping barge far in the distance. Connor studied it, uneasy despite knowing they were too far away to be seen. Besides, if anyone came near, Adonis was always the first to know.
“It belongs to Cessair,” Laurence said.
Connor looked over his shoulder to see that Laurence was also studying the ship.
“How do you know that?” Connor wasn’t as quick to dismiss Laurence’s conspiracies anymore. Not now that he knew the case was being investigated for corruption for real. Not now that he’d heard that Cessair’s nickname was the same one Austin used for his dad. Something was going on; his mind wouldn’t let him dismiss anything anymore.
“I looked up the assets he has in Ireland. It’s called ‘The Infinite.’”
“He named it himself?” It was something a kid would come up with.
“I’m not sure.” He shrugged.
As they continued along the coast, the ship disappeared from the horizon, and Connor’s uneasy feeling eased away.
They reached the abandoned little bay where the waves fell in languid rolls that hardly shook the board. Connor settled down, glancing around them to be sure they were alone.
“Are you going swimming?” Laurence asked in surprise as Connor unclipped his snorkelling gear. He’d brought the headpiece and the flippers, though he imagined Adonis would be curious or mocking of the equipment. Probably both.
“Just for a bit,” Connor said. All that bothered him was his throat. If he really started to feel unwell, he would get back on the board. “Do you want to as well?”
Laurence glanced at the surrounding water. It was well past his depth where they were. “I’m good,” he said. He reached around to dig out his sketchbook from Connor’s waterproof bag. “I’m going to draw Adonis.” Adonis swam to Connor, pulling the board around so that it was perpendicular to the shore. He looked curiously at the flippers as Connor pulled them on.
Connor watched his face closely as he set his feet in the water. Adonis disappeared underneath to investigate. Connor felt his hesitant touch examining where the flipper ended at the top of his foot. He had a clear pair, and the silicone material was transparent enough that his feet were visible within.
Connor shrugged off his shirt as Adonis did his investigating. “Is that the one with the other sketches you did of Adonis? You should show him. I’m curious what he’ll think of them.”
Laurence stared at Connor.
Connor cast him a glance.
“Did Adonis do that?” Laurence asked, looking at Connor’s stomach. At the bite mark.
“Ah,” Connor remembered them too late. “Well… yes.”
Laurence put aside his sketch mark going forward on his knees. “Why is it shiny? All silver like that?”
“Silver?” Connor looked down at himself. The skin healing over the bite mark was silver. The type of silver that shimmered as the light caught it.
“Your shoulder is the same,” Laurence told him. “It’s like a layer of soft scales has scabbed over it.” He touched Connor’s shoulder, brushing his thumb over the silver layer. Warm shivers raced over Connor’s skin.
The water at Connor’s legs exploded. Adonis came out of the water, snarling, his arm whipping out to shove Laurence back. Laurence fell with a yelp, catching himself on his hands. His eyes widened with fright.
“Adonis!”
Adonis wrapped his arms around Connor, his top lip curling back as he growled at Laurence.
