The Penny Drops (Sea the Depths Book 1) Karmon Kuhn (life changing books TXT) 📖

had I believed any of the teachings at the tsez̈ø without question? As my mind whirled with these questions, my body broke down into a fevered, forced sleep.

Chapter 16

I

n my cave, I awoke with a start as the echo of a vibration bounded against the low ceiling. It was a sweet call. A lovely little, hello from someone I hadn’t met before. At least not below sea level.

As groggy as I was, I nearly rolled off the ledge and into the pool beside me, but thankfully, some nightmarish paranoia tensed each of my muscles. I laid there and listened. Nothing.

I stayed completely still for quite a while longer, and once I was reasonably sure that no one was waiting for me just below the surface, I descended with my pack back into the icy waves. I glanced around the wall of my underwater shelter and saw nothing. I did my best to stay hidden and looked in every direction that I could until my hiding spot prevented me from seeing the full dimension of the sea.

I propelled up to the surface, hyper-aware of the stimuli surrounding me. I was stronger but still tired. Judging by the dark, I hadn’t had a full night of sleep to recharge, and I hadn’t eaten yet. I’d need a bigger area to unpack my satchel and set out food without attracting creatures who might want to eat my rations as well.

I was careful again to breach the surface quietly and only with the top of my head. At first, nothing caught my notice. But after a moment, there was a sharp grunt and some snapping. They were close. Whoever it was. I dove back down a short ways and slackened my body so that I could perceive any communication from one of my own. Still nothing, so I surfaced again.

This time, there was breathless talking.

“Rah! Dammit that hurts!” said one angry whisper. It was a voice that I knew and thought I’d never hear again.

More crackles, pops, a squish, and then there was an answer. “Darius, fellow, I know. I can’t wait to be rid of the land and this body.”

That was another familiar voice. The creature who’d delivered resources to me at the inn, Ali. He continued, “You found nothing?”

“No.” Darius grunted as he snapped something into place.

“We must find something. I will track the coast. Perhaps, we can borrow a domesticated shark to track her.There is plenty of blood at the house for her scent.”

“That would be ideal. If only we could just feed her to the beast and be done with this.” Darius said.

“Be serious! We need to bring something back to the center.”

“Yes. Hopefully Yeztlu’s mistake will not prevent us from finding her soon.”

“Tlu!” Ali spat, “That imbecile! I wish I could beat him myself for charging in alone last night. If we could have taken them both in at once, there would be no clean up necessary!”

My mind swam with conflicting thoughts. I didn’t even know what they were doing to the humans in the lab, and no one would believe me even if I had something to tell! Why were they so interested in me? And, who was behind this manhunt?

There was no time. I needed to put as many leagues between me and these awful beasts as I could. I waited for just a moment, and when I heard their padding feet leaving the shore, I dove with all of the force in my body. I needed to be deep to avoid anyone seeing me.

As soon as I was satisfied with my placement, I oriented to the south and began swimming fiercely, gliding as if I was an athlete with the strength of a great white. I would not be stalled by these creatures following their orders.

I pushed my body beyond anything that it had ever attempted and swam longer and faster than I ever had before. The thoughts flooding my brain were as harried and urgent as my strokes. Two questions repeated in the fray. How did this happen? And why to us?

I’d faced death repeatedly over the last few hours and so had she. For me. We were in this together, and somehow, I’d brought it down on our heads.

I passed schools of fish, sand crevices, and even a few sharks who I evaded without explanation, but I didn’t see another of my kind. It was a blessing, but I was also terrified that I might be approaching the wrong direction or missing something. Some clue.

I barely stopped to rest, and I could feel the strain throughout the muscles, tendons, and bones of my entire self. Each time I had to stop and sleep, it was out of complete necessity and never choice.

I continued that way, pushing myself to breaking and then barely resting in a haphazard hiding spot. I’m not sure if it was days or weeks like that, but at the time, I would’ve guessed years.

When I faltered and asked myself why, I thought of tender lips on my skin and fingertips at my hips and I knew. I thought of the bloody mass in the tunnel and the stunning weapons. I was not just fighting through this environment for myself. It was for Penny and for any other woman, man, or child who might be salvaged from the tsez̈ø. They might not communicate or travel or exist as we did, but I knew that humans were our equals. They deserved a chance to live, and I owed it to them to try.

I rounded an area of shore and was surprised to notice familiar surroundings. I stopped and swiveled from side to side, scanning for a somewhat shallow sand drift. There it was!

I rushed over and miscalculated the distance, slamming my shoulder into the side of my bulky, hidden juz̈uṣùs̈. I fought the urge to bellow in pain as webs of sheer hot stung through my arm and into my fingers and