Page 14 of Welcome to Seaman’s Cove: Part Two

“Yeah, I tried that. I thought it might be like the i’xal, something that only works in water, but it didn’t do anything.”

She drops under the water herself, but she’s still close enough to the surface that I can see her. She holds the device to her nose and sniffs, then brings it to her ear and shakes it. Next she tries to bite it. She grimaces when her teeth hit the metal.

I try not to laugh. It seemed pretty obvious to me that it’s not food, but maybe mermaids eat metal? I’d be surprised if that’s true, but I really don’t know much about them at all. I guess it kinda looks like a shell. If I squint really hard.

While I’m still lost in my head, wondering what else I don’t know about my mate and his people, the girl brings her lips to the device and blows. Bubbles spill out of the small openings. Still no music or anything, though. She keeps it held between her lips as her chest inflates. Her eyes go wide in surprise.

“What?” I ask.

Of course, she doesn’t answer, but before I can take any guesses about why she’s so intrigued, she’s tugging me into the water again. I barely manage to get my mouth closed this time before water floods my nose. When I try to kick to the surface, she holds me down. I fight, wrestling and losing to a pre-teen, which is kind of embarrassing, but she’s at an advantage here.

She shoves the little harmonica-like thing in my mouth and points at my chest before over exaggerating the act of breathing, making her chest rise and fall in big movements.

Does she want me to breathe? Sucking water into my lungs seems like a really bad idea. I study her eager expression. She doesn’t seem worried, and I don’t think she wants to hurt me.

I tentatively take a small breath through my mouth. Water doesn’t rush in. Air does. Is that oxygen? How? It tastes a little off, but it feels like breathing through a snorkel or an oxygen tank.

No wonder there were so many of these things in Ocearus. This changes everything. With this I could stay under the water, go find Caspian, maybe even escape.

Except the rest of my body wasn’t made for swimming long distances. Even with this little breather thing, I’d fatigue long before finding land. I’d pass out and be unable to keep this thing in my mouth. Okay, so that’s not a viable option, but getting to Caspian might be.

I just need to be smart about it. It won’t do me any good to swim right into a mercity and be immediately re-captured by the queen’s guards. I need a plan. And maybe a little help.

Breather between my lips, I smile at the young girl in front of me. She grins back mischievously and pulls me back to the surface.

When we reach the top, I throw my arms around her and hug her. “Thank you. That was more helpful than you know.”

She takes my hands, spins us both in a circle, and laughs happily, like she knows exactly what this discovery means to me. Now, if only I could tell Hunter and Phoenix what these do. I have a feeling that knowledge would really come in handy for them, because wherever they are, whatever they’re doing, I know they’re searching for me.

10

“Alright, that’s enough.” I drop into the chair across from Hunter and Seb.

The two of them have been stuck at this table, poring over those damn books, for hours. They’ve got papers and their laptops strewn everywhere. Their eyes are bloodshot from staring at ancient symbols. Hunter’s hair is sticking up in every direction from how much he’s been pulling it. Seb’s glasses are smudged, and his tailored dress-shirt is a wrinkled mess. Pretty sure they haven’t even peed since this morning.

Ever since Seb realized he knows Madi, he’s been as focused as Hunter. At least that single-mindedness has helped him relax a little. It’s like he hasn’t had time to be anxious around Hunter anymore because he’s too hyper-focused on finding our girl.

I still can’t believe my Madi is the same omega who asked Seb to help her through her heat months ago. If only he’d said yes. At the time, I pushed for him to do it, even encouraged him to ask if I could join them so I could bond him during it, but he wasn’t ready. Or at least, that’s the excuse he gave back then. Gods, I hope he’s changed his tune by the time we find Madison.

“You two need a break.” I close the nearest book and start stacking up the others.

Hunter snatches a book back from me. “We can’t stop.”

Most people would be intimidated by the deep growl in his voice, but I’ve known him too long.

Seb, on the other hand, turns white as a sheet. Shit. They were getting along so well. Okay, that might be a stretch. They weren’t getting to know each other or anything. But they were working together, engaging in parallel tasks without conflict or jealousy or posturing. I count it as a win. It’s a start at least.

Seb clears his throat and scoots his chair farther away from Hunter. “He’s right. We still don’t know where we’re going. We can’t just take a break and walk away from this.”

“I’m not asking you to give up.” I set my hand over his and give it a squeeze. “But you might have clearer heads if you step back, refuel, and get some rest. It’s nearly midnight.”

Frankly, I want my beta. I’m as desperate to find Madi as they are, but I’ve felt useless all day. Translating ancient texts isn’t my thing. I did my best to be helpful until Hunter kicked me out in the late afternoon and said I was just in the way. I tried not to take it personally, but it stung.

After that, I spent most of my time either on deck, looking for whatever sea life I could find, or chatting with the captain, who’s been on other expeditions with me. It was thoughtful of Seb to round up a crew made almost entirely of friends we’ve worked with before. We’re gonna need people we trust out here.

Still, I’m antsy as hell and need a little time with my Sebby. It's been too long since I've seen him, held him. Besides, it’s easier to solve problems when you’re not hungry, tired, or emotional. They could both use a little refresh, maybe a little release too, but I won’t push my luck.

“All I’m asking is that you come have dinner with me,” I add.