“Believe?” Aya made a flubbing noise with her lips. “Belief is for people who don’t plan.”

Soren kicked steadily with all his might. Each powerful stroke propelled them through the dangerous swift-water of the Est-Atalica current. “So, plan.”

“It would be easier if I knew what I was up against.” She picked at a hard ridge of scar tissue on his chest. “Planning used to be so easy.”

He liked hearing her voice. The soft vibration of her breasts pressing against his chest filled him with warmth and purpose. He could cross the whole open ocean and return with this sound.

He wanted more of it. “Then what happened?”

“Mythical creatures became real.” She pulled out an embedded chip of metal. A bit of Elan’s trident? She let go and smoothed the skin.

He grunted. “Mermen interfered with your thinking.”

“In a way.” She stroked his skin. “My great grandmother’s dream was to make a skincare company of natural beauty products. My mother gave up everything to pursue the same dream. But it means giving up unnecessary things like relationships. Maybe the cost is in our souls.”

Her light dimmed.

No. His Aya could never dim. Dimming her soul with doubts was dangerous. “Your soul is pure.”

“And cold.”

“Refreshing.”

She dropped silent for a few minutes. Then, she finally relaxed. “You are one heck of a liar.”

“I do not lie.”

She didn’t reply.

Her soft hip pressed against his hard waist like it belonged. Her thighs rubbed against his. She was the definition of femininity and the urge to claim her pounded once more through his blood.

Why did she accuse him of lying? Strange. He would never understand females.

And he did not understand what she meant by “it had been a long time” since she had been held. Did that mean once a person was held, then they had a weakness to being held again?

Soren had never been held by a woman. His own mother had left after the birth, as per the covenant. According to his father, his birth had been difficult and she had been grateful to leave her overly large young fry behind.

Seeing Queen Elyssa with Kadir and knowing what happiness they brought to each other made Soren hunger for something he had never experienced. Queen Elyssa stated from the beginning she wanted to always stay with Kadir. And she had fulfilled that vow through sickness and health.

But Aya did not wish this with Soren. She’d already asked to go to the surface. A worthier male might have tempted her to remain. But Soren was not a worthy enough male.

Even though she said he looked good. Which also made no sense. His body was hulking and scarred. He frightened kings and generals. Even now he was slashed with injuries from the battle for Atlantis. Good was not how he looked.

“Teach me about being underwater.” Aya flexed her ankles, testing but unable to make her fins yet. “What’s dangerous? What are you looking out for? How do you know the way back to Atlantis?”

Protective urges overwhelmed him. “Do not split from me.”

“I’m not,” she protested, and her soul light remained steady, a promise of truth. “I’m trying to learn my surroundings so I can better adapt and be more useful.”

“You would be most useful if you could use your power to protect us.”

“I would love to use my power,” she said patiently, glowing ever brighter but still refusing to channel it. “The instant I have figured out the magic words to unleash a godlike underwater sonic boom, then abracadabra, you’ll be the first to know.”

“It is not words. Queen Elyssa said it was a feeling.”

“Right.” Aya bit her lip, and her soul light dipped again. “I’m working on it.”

“Now you are less bright again.”

“Hmm.” Pointing it out had the opposite effect of what he desired. She grew darker yet, as though bothered to know she was darkening.

It was infuriating.

But he would not cripple her. He began with the knowledge a father would pass on to his young fry. Mermen always had sons, never daughters, and they passed on the knowledge of the sea from one generation to the next. And their babies could always make their fins right away. They had to be taught how to walk.

Once he had thought he would have a young fry. But then came his dishonor.

Aya denied him. He would never claim another bride.

“The currents have a flavor. The Est-Atalica is chalkier than the surrounding water. This current, an off-shoot, has a hint of chalk and more tangy salt.”

She opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue.

It was adorable. “Do you taste it?”

She vibrated her answer in her chest, with her tongue still stuck out. “Perhaps.”

“We judge distance by cave guardian songs. You call them giant octopuses. They spread evenly throughout the ocean. Once you have heard a cave guardian, you will not forget it. The unique sounds are memorable.”

“I believe Elyssa described the noise of Octopus Kong as ‘a garbage truck backing over an accordion.’”

He grunted. He was unfamiliar with those surface objects.

“But which fish are dangerous?” she pressed. “How do I know if I’m about to get eaten?”

“Size.”

“Whales are huge and they don’t eat people.”

“Most fish have teeth. If they are fighting or mating, even a small fish can slice off a finger.”

She dug hers into his shoulder. “I like my fingers.”

“That is why it is better to have a dagger, a trident, and a team of five warriors. That is the minimum for safely crossing the open ocean.”

“How many for a trench?”

He flexed for his trident. His arms hugged her against him more tightly. “There is no safe number.”

“Ah.”

He looked up from his dark musings. “What?”

“That silver thing.” She pointed. “I think that’s my dive computer.”

Soren took in their location with surprise. They were much closer to the end of their journey than he’d realized. The crack of a trench split the ocean floor like a black scar. No glow of the Life Tree was visible.

Curse it. They had not been fast enough. The Life Tree must have gone over the side. In the trench, there was no hope.

He tightened his grip on her.

“Is that it?”

Oh, her question. He dove for the metal box.

“That’s definitely it.” She reached for it. “Get closer.”

He veered away. “We must turn back.”

“The Life Tree is probably only a little farther ahead. I’m sure it fell into the current a few minutes before my dive computer did.”

“It cannot have survived the crushing currents of the trench.”

She absorbed that information with cold sadness. He had already accepted the Life Tree’s death in the submersible’s claw. Aya’s steadfast refusal to abandon it warmed his heart. She had a warrior’s dedication to protect the city. But even she must face the end of all hope.

“Fine. Let me grab the dive computer. I’ll use the coordinates in it to return to the undersea platform.”

His belly turned cold. “We must return to Atlantis.”

“You’ll go faster without me. And the undersea platform is closer than Atlantis. I won’t be in danger like going to the surface.”

“Splitting up is too dangerous.”

“It’s the most efficient use of our limited resources.” She stretched. “A little closer...”

The currents near a trench were unpredictable. The trench itself breathed, and the intermix could dash them against the bottom or shoot them into the jaws of a lurking predator.

“You are a mer now.” He put more distance between them and the computer. They remained in the safe current and the computer bounced in the rough, unpredictable riptide. “We need your power. Atlantis needs your power.”

“I don’t have any power.”

“You—”

“Splitting up makes the most sense, Soren. Be reasonable.”

She begged him to let her go. She did not wish to be his queen and she begged him for the quickest way to leave him.

He studied the currents.

Up ahead, froth revealed a deadly whirlpool over the trench. One branch sucked unwary travelers into the trench itself. Another branch pushed travelers into a gentle current far above the trench.

She kicked toward the trench-bound current.

Predators inched along the rim already — trench fish and crustacean scavengers — and they would be attracted to the unusual treat of two mer.

“Hurry.” She pushed against him. “I can get it.”

“No.” He crushed her to his chest. “It is too dangerous.”

The dive computer flashed like a jewel.

His rage snapped. “Stop this mad quest! Your duty is to the mer. Do not pursue a surface life. Do you understand?”

“No.”

“Do not argue with me!”

“Okay, then I won’t.” She slipped away as if she were covered in oil and flew to the deadly riptide.