Edith’s grin softened slightly as she stared at him.
“Knew you’d come,” she muttered.
The words nearly undid him. How she knew it was him, he had no clue. Behind Spencer, the surface erupted again as Dave breached, laughing wildly. The sheer size of him dwarfed the boat instantly.
Water cascaded from his enormous body as massive tentacles curled through the sea around them, ancient glowing eyes fixed directly on the vessel. Then Brutas emerged beside him, slightly smaller but no less terrifying, dark scaled skin glistening beneath the grey morning light.
Between the two guardians, the boat suddenly looked like driftwood. Gerald stepped backward instinctively. Good instinct.
The sea itself seemed to still. Then Brutas spoke, his voice rolling across the water deep enough to shake the boat beneath them.
“You stole from Krakens Hole.”
Mark looked genuinely horrified now.
The pirate crossed himself.
Gerald’s expression hardened.
But Edith looked like Christmas had arrived early.
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 rolledoff 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.
