Page 38 of Battle Fluke
“Focus, General.” Hudson said, and for the first time ever, the honorific didn’t sound like vitriol on Hudson’s tongue.
Honour forced herself to focus. She wasn’t tempted to moan now. Horror filled her. There were so many raised lines on Hudson’s skin. Scars, thin and hard, covered the skin over her ribs.
“Who did this?” Honour splayed her fingers, brushing them gently across Hudson’s body in a sweet caress.
Hudson dropped her hand away and played with Nylah. Honour continued to run the tips of her fingers over the thin pale scars. She couldn’t stop touching Hudson, now that she had permission to feel, to embrace, to explore.
“I did,” Hudson answered simply.
“You?” Honour furrowed her brow, stopping her gentle motion.
“I fought for them, mostly because I didn’t believe I had another choice. I won them wars.” Hudson sounded so damn proud of herself. “But when I had my first taste of freedom, I knew I had to leave.”
The urge to wrap Hudson tightly and pull her close was strong. But Honour resisted. “What freedom?”
“Khai.”
“Your deep sounding mer?”
Hudson nodded slowly. “Khai gave me the one thing Talon never did.”
“What was that?” Honour found another long scar right along Hudson’s hip. She traced it before drawing her hand back to herself.
“A choice.”
“I’m so sorry,” Honour murmured. “I never knew what kind of world Talon was, but I don’t think I’d care to know now anyway.”
“Don’t.” Hudson met her eyes. “I don’t want your pity. I’ve earned my life, and the right of my body, and I will fight so every other Talon mermaid has the same choice I have.”
“Oh, Hudson.” Honour’s eyes stung, warmth right in front of her face. When had she started crying? When had Hudson become such a broken soul clawing her way back to strength? When had Honour earned the right to her vulnerability?
Hudson was so much stronger than Honour ever was. She was the one who deserved their attention and time and effort, not the Talon. And here they were, stuck in a war none of them wanted that was going to distract from the real problems that needed solving.
Looking deep into Hudson’s pale blue eyes, Honour lost herself in them. Hudson could seem weak, she could seem like a pretty mermaid that anyone would chase tail after, but she was so much more than that. And she wasn’t the strong, stoic—or psychotic—warrior that she wanted everyone to perceive her as either. Honour’s lips parted, when Hudson reached toward her.
“Nylah!” Kyree’s squeal jerked both of them up off their seats. “You found Nylah!”
If Kyree saw or felt any of the new level of connection between Honour and Hudson, she gave no indication as shefocused solely on the ray that now nuzzled between her shoulder and cheek. Hudson and Honour stayed back, letting Kyree reunite with her companion.
Honour’s hand jerked a little at the sudden touch of Hudson’s small finger wrapped around her own. Before Hudson could remove it or think Honour’s reaction was more than shock, Honour squeezed their fingers together and was rewarded with a gentle squeeze back. She didn’t know what it all meant. Not really. But hope lit up inside of her in a way she’d never known to even dream about.
“It’s going to be all right.” Kyree pulled her attention away from Nylah, though her hands continued to stroke the back of the ray as she spoke, “We’re going to find Soulara.”
“How?” Honour let go of Hudson’s finger and swam closer to Kyree and Nylah. “How does finding Nylah have anything to do with Soulara?”
“You don’t know.” Kyree tilted her head and looked closer at Honour. “I wasn’t sure if you didn't know, or you didn’t believe, or you just didn’t care.”
“Know what?” A sliver of pain cut through Honour’s chest. But she supposed she couldn’t blame Kyree. Honour never had been all that good at expressing her reasons or emotions.
“My tribe have an affinity with the animals. They aren’t just friends or pets to us, not like other tribes think of them. Animals are our companions. Mentally and spiritually.”
“What does that mean?” Hudson asked before Honour got a chance. There was comfort in knowing she wasn’t the only one still lost by Kyree’s enthusiasm and optimism.
“It means we talk to them. And they talk to us.” Kyree smiled and rubbed her cheek along Nylah once more. The smile that spread over her face made her entire body suddenly seem so much brighter than her dark coloring. “They can show us where they are from such distances away. Of course, it’s easier with asoul stone. But when I saw Soulara had Nylah’s stone, I couldn’t keep Nylah away from the other half of herself.”
“Wait. Soulara’s stone?” Honour was piecing things together, but no, she had to be wrong. “Soul stone? Are you telling me the stones are the animals’ souls?”
“Yes.” Kyree twirled around in front of Honour.