Chapter Sixteen
Tony glanced back from his position behind the wheel, grateful for Melvin’s quick thinking in commandeering a speedboat. Tony had spent the last several minutes helping Henry into his dive gear and ensuring he understood the semantics of the deep dive.
“I’m not a stranger to diving,” Henry barked, adjusting his oxygen tank. “Just hurry and get us the hell out of here.”
“I am sorry…” Naura’s voice floated through Tony’s psyche, weak and full of regret.
“Naura?” Silence. “Talk to me,” Tony mentally called to her in growing panic.
With a growl of rage, Tony spun the boat around, nearly throwing the other passengers over the side.
Henry stumbled toward the front. “What are you doing?”
“Naura is in trouble. We have to go back.”
Braum was instantly at his side, one of his big hands gripping Tony’s shoulder. “Vaulcron escaped with her. He is bringing her body to Aukrabah.”
Tony’s heart stuttered. “Her…body?”
The big Bracadyte nodded. “She has been injured by one of your human weapons.”
“Is she…” Taking a breath, Tony tried again. “Is she dead?”
“She lives for now, but is rapidly losing blood,” Braum stated, removing his hand from Tony’s shoulder. “We must make haste.”
A shudder passed through Tony, leaving him weak with nausea. Naura had been shot and was now bleeding out in the gulf without medical help. What if she didn’t survive the trip back to Aukrabah? He couldn’t finish the thought.
Turning the boat back around, Tony sped toward the drop point as though the hounds of hell were tight on his ass.
“Braum?” Tony growled, maneuvering the speedboat through the choppy waves. “The coast guard is minutes behind us. We need to get beneath as quickly as possible. We’ll need your help guiding us in.”
The Bracadyte male nodded without hesitation. “I will speak with Gryke.”
Though Tony couldn’t bring himself to actually like Naura’s lifelong friend, he did however respect Braum, he grudgingly thought as he slowed the boat to a stop and threw the anchor overboard.
After helping Henry with his facemask, Tony adjusted his own before grabbing the black bag that Melvin had left him and easing over the side of the boat ahead of the Bracadytes.
Braum appeared next to Tony, lifting his finger to point ahead.
With a nod, Tony followed him into the deep, thoughts of Naura plaguing him with every inch he put between him and the boat. She wouldn’t die. He wouldn’t let her. His tormented mind repeated like a mantra, Stay alive, Naura. Stay alive…
* * * *
An hour later, Braum stopped outside the underwater fall at the entrance of Aukrabah.
Tony peered behind him to be sure that Henry and Gryke had arrived safely before following Braum through the cascading water.
Popping up in the pool of life, otherwise known as the place of enlightenment, Tony removed his facemask and took a deep breath of natural air.
“Have Naura and Vaulcron arrived yet?” Tony questioned Braum as they swam to the pool’s edge.
The Bracadyte shook his head. “Vaulcron is moving slower with Naura’s body in his arms. He swims only with his legs.”
“Damn it,” Tony growled, tossing the black bag over the top and climbing from the pool. “Can you call for Hauke?”
“I have summoned him. He will arrive momentarily.”
“Oh my God, Uncle Tony,” Abbie breathed, rushing into the large cavern. “Are you okay?” She threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him off balance.
“I’m fine. Your father is right behind us.”
She pulled back enough to make eye contact. “Henry is here?”
“He is.”
“You cut your hair and shaved your beard?”
Tony rubbed at his smooth jaw. “It was necessary at the time. I’ll explain later.”
“Braum, my friend,” Hauke called out, clasping the Bracadyte on the shoulder. “I could not believe that you had contacted me. I—we thought that you were dead.”
A smile appeared on Braum’s face. “It is good to see you, son of Klause. I have much to tell you after I have filled my belly. I have not eaten for many moons.”
Hauke nodded. “What of Gryke?”
“He survived. He is attempting to coax the doctor through the falling water.”
“And Naura?” Hauke shifted his worried gaze to Tony.
Tony swallowed around the lump in his throat. “Vaulcron is bringing her home. Hauke. She’s injured.”
“Injured, how?”
“I wasn’t there, so I don’t have the details. All I know is Vaulcron conveyed to Braum that she’d been injured with a human weapon. I’m assuming that she was shot.”
Hauke’s lips peeled back to reveal his fangs. He’d never looked more alien to Tony than he did in that moment. “I will kill every land walker that still breathes if—”
“Easy, my love,” Abbie rushed out, effectively cutting off his threat. “You will upset Arcanum.”
A beautiful Bracadyte female sailed into the cavern, carrying a baby in her arms. “He wants his father,” she announced, handing the child to Hauke.
Tony’s chest constricted before he turned away. The little boy dredged up memories Tony relived in his nightmares. And for the sake of his sanity, he’d rather they remain there.
Henry’s head popped up inside the pool, and he spat and sputtered. His eyes were huge as he swam to the side and gripped the edge. “That damn creature tried to kill me.”
“Too bad he didn’t succeed,” Tony murmured, snagging a change of clothing from the bag at his feet.
“I heard that.” Henry hurried from the pool and embraced his daughter. “Abbigail. It’s so good to see you. I wasn’t sure if you were still alive.”
Abbie hugged him back. “I’m fine, Henry. You must be tired.” She pulled away. “Come. Let’s get you fed and into some dry clothes.”
“Your uncle said you had a child.”
“Yes. His name is Arcanum,” Abbie confirmed, holding out her arms toward Hauke.
Arcanum squirmed in excitement, two tiny sharp fangs displaying as he smiled at his mother.
Abbie lifted her son high against her chest and turned toward Henry. “This is your grandson, Arcanum.”
“He is like them,” Henry whispered, recoiling from the small child in Abbie’s arms. “I can see his-his…fangs.”
The hurt in Abbie’s eyes disturbed Tony’s normally dead heart. He wanted to drown Henry in the pool of life he stood next to. “I vote we lock the doctor up in a cell until he learns some couth.”
Abbie intervened on Sutherland’s behalf. “Nonsense. He’s just afraid of the unknown. He’ll come around. Won’t you, Henry?”
Tony watched as Hauke embraced Gryke, obviously attempting to block out Henry’s actions, if the muscle bunched along his jaw were any indication. Not that Tony blamed Hauke. Tony wanted nothing more than to shove Abbie’s father back in the gulf without an oxygen mask.
Hauke released his friend and faced the group. “Let us go. Klause will want an accounting of Gryke and Braum’s time on the surface once they have rested. And I need to have Zaureth prepare for Naura’s arrival.”
Everyone began to disburse to the main entrance.
Tony glanced toward the pool as he began stripping out of his wetsuit. “I’ll wait here for them.”
“You should rest,” Hauke offered. “I will send for guards to keep watch for my sister. They will know what to do.”
For the life of him, Tony couldn’t understand this need he had to oversee Naura’s safety. After all, she wasn’t his responsibility. He’d told her to return home when her stubborn ass had shown up unannounced several days back, wearing that damn tight sharkskin vest. No. She wasn’t his problem. “I’ll wait here for Vaulcron,” he found himself saying instead.
A strange look passed through Hauke’s eyes. “If that is what you wish. I must go have Zaureth prepare the infirmary.” He disappeared through the same corridor the others had taken.