Page 37 of Free for Adventure
Skaay slowly bent her arm and made a satisfied noise. “Just a little bit more.” His hand wrapped around her elbow in the bent position.
She sighed, and her hand could now move more easily.
He settled her against him, and she felt that she was using him as a throne. He moved his arm across her and focused on wrapping it around her ouchie.
Kayak sighed, got her suit, and started dealing with the equipment. The big island of Wonder was appearing in the distance, and Orc handed the wheel over to Kayak.
The boat stopped straining when Kayak was at the helm. Their progress got faster, and the world blurred past them.
Orc knelt. “So, he flipped you, and you landed on your tank?”
“Yup.”
“But the launch was successful?”
“Of course. I have been jumping off orcas since I was eleven. It was my favourite part of hanging out with Dad.”
Orc asked casually, “Have you ever been in danger underwater?”
“Sure. Dad hit me with his tail and barrel rolled on top of me when he forgot I was there. I have faced off against a lot of very pointy fish, but all in all, I breathe air and am underwater, so danger goes along with the situation.”
Orc blinked. “Right. Yeah, I can see how that would be a problem.”
“It isn’t a problem. It’s a situation. It doesn’t change.” She stretched against Skaay and got comfy.
She rubbed her head against his shoulder and tucked against his chin. Skaay made a surprised sound and held her tight.
Orc chuckled. “You seem to be settling in.”
“If you think this is how you catch a mate, you are sorely mistaken.”
“You are making us guess?”
“My mother died having me, and that is why Dad and I moved around chasing migratory paths. He felt guilty, and we always headed to her homeland for her death anniversary, but when he died, too, I was stuck with his ashes and no home to take them to.”
Orc blinked. “You brought Andrej’s ashes here?”
“Yeah, I am looking for the precisely right place to turn him into fish food.”
Orc smiled. “So, where do you call home now?”
“I live in the city with Ford and the others. Same place Haravin and Ambermarle came from.” She was mumbling, and the sun was warming her into a comfortable doze. “Same place Serin lives.”
Skaay tensed. “You know her?”
“Sure. She and I used to hang out all the time when you guys were off learning the best way to dive without belching or whatever.” She sighed. “Ask King Kekoa; he’s the one who hired her as media manager.”
The three were tense, and she opened her eyes. “What?”
“We didn’t know she was still alive. Her mate has been in mourning for her for six years.”
Thera sat up. “Mate? She doesn’t have a mate. Are we talking about the same Serin? Blue and grey hair, dark grey eyes, spots down her back? Walks with crutches?”
That got all of them to stare at her. Thera frowned. “What? She’s been on them for a few years. She does a ton of Ford’s admin. When she started chatting with Ven, she was loaned out to King Syar, and then Kekoa wanted to join the surge toward advertising the islands. So, now, she is the tourism minister for the islands. Why don’t you know that?”
Orc said, “Kekoa has been busy. He hasn’t alerted anyone, but I am relieved to find out that Serin is alive. After her sister did what she did, the village guessed that she wasn’t long for this world.”
“They really didn’t give Serin a lot of credit.” Thera huffed. “I have seen her take on stuntmen with those crutches.”