Depth (Apalala Clan Book 2)

by Dzintra Sullivan

  Taryn looked up the Attor. “Thanks. Glad I didn’t fall into that.”

  Attor took a breath, he knew this was the point that life as he and Taryn knew it would change forever. “Do you trust me?”

  “Not a fucking chance in hell.” Taryn laughed as the immediate response left her mouth. “And I don’t swim so… if you think I’m skinny dipping with your large ass, think again.”

  “You need to trust me, Taryn,” Attor said, his voice calm and melodic.

  Her head raised to look at this large man-mountain she creased her brow with a look of suspicion. “I don’t need to do anything, Attor. And if you think…” She turned to face him in the pitch black of night. Taryn had good night vision and could make out his black outline easily. She poked her finger hard into his chest. “I don’t care how sexy you are, if you think I’m going swimming, or even anywhere near that water you’re fucking out of your ever-loving mind.” She turned away from him, wrapping her arms around herself. “I hate the water. Loathe it. Even the thought of the ocean makes my skin crawl.”

  Attor’s chest caved a little at what she said. “Why?” he asked.

  Flicking her head around. “Why do I hate the water?”

  “Yes…” His word floated out into the darkness on an exhaled breath.

  She shrugged as a shudder ran up her spine. “Always have, ever since I was a child. I’ve always felt helpless in the water. I hate the feeling of being submerged?” She shuddered again. “That’s why I only have showers; I don’t even like a bath.”

  Attor knew he had no choice, he threw a silent prayer to the goddess. The next few minutes were going to happen with the purest of intentions. He hoped she’d understand. “Taryn?” he said. She turned to look at him. “Forgive me.”

  “For wha—” Taryn didn’t have a chance to finish the sentence before Attor had wrapped his arms so tightly around her it stole her breath, and he dove into the awaiting black inky water waiting below.

  The next few seconds happened in slow motion for Taryn, her arms and legs began to flail in a panicked driven need to save her own life. Her eyes wide with horror as she watched Attor not release her from his deathly hold.

  “Trust me,” he mouthed to her calmly, as his grip held firm around her.

  Taryn suddenly went still in his arms. Looking at him she mouthed, “Fuck you,” and lowered her head, sinking her teeth into the small exposed part of his shoulder just past the vest. She bit as hard as she could, knowing as she saw the snaking of a blood trail up in front of her eyes that she had pierced through his skin.

  Attor’s back arched as he howled with pain. Her teeth sunk into his flesh as she fought for her freedom. His brain screamed to let her go, but his heart kept his arms tight. Her head looked up at him, he could see the blue rim appearing around her mouth as she was beginning to be starved of the oxygen, her body needed to live. Reaching into his vest, he pulled out a small black ball.

  It was a new device Wyvern had created—a portable air bubble. Wyvern had called it BOB— a Bubble of Breath. Attor cracked it near the ear of Taryn’s now limp body. Her eyes following his movement, but without oxygen for this long, she was powerless to stop him.

  I am doing nothing to help her fear of water, Attor chastised himself harshly. Even if it’s for her own good.

  Attor watched the bubble inflate and encapsulate her head, draining the water from around her face as it was replaced with lifesaving oxygen. He waited patiently for her body to take in the air, it seemed to be a lifetime before she took a large breath and the color returned to her face.

  His hold was now only on her wrists as she orientated herself to the fact she was still alive. Taryn’s head flicked to look at him, the hatred in her eyes could have scolded the sun itself with the heat that burned from her. The look of betrayal quickly changed back to panic as she saw beyond what he had done to her.

  Attor looked back at what had caught her attention. He hadn’t realized in the panic to keep her alive, he had partially changed. His skin was now covered with a splattering of beautiful cerulean colored scales, his gills on the side of his neck opened and shut rhythmically as his body breathed underwater. The thing Attor assumed was causing her the most distress was his wings. They had opened to a twelve-foot span and pulsated slowly in the water keeping them floating in the one spot. The ultramarine colors darkened at the base of his body but lightened to an almost gold fleck at the tips.

  Taking out the fact he had a large bite wound which was bleeding on his shoulder, Attor had always thought he had one of the most handsome set of wings amongst his dragon brothers. Looking at the utter horror that currently occupied his mate’s face, she apparently didn’t share that thought.

  Attor had gone too far to stop now. He pulled her body close to his, wrapping her once again tightly to his chest. He took a large breath and took off like a rocket, out into the Pacific Ocean and toward the Tamu Massif, his home, and her new hideout.

  Straightening the nameplate that sat on the front of her desk. It read ‘Ms. Pettigrove’ in bold black letters engraved in cursive on a faux gold slab. Having just made a fresh mug of coffee, she now sat nervously awaiting a call. She had some news that would make her employer satisfied with her work. This would be the first time she’d spoken to him directly. All communication previously had been with one of his associates, Mr. Singed. However, the man who paid her the money had been less than enthused with her inability to locate his daughter. He decided that he would call her, himself. Singed had warned her not to treat his call lightly, so she’d been sitting and waiting to receive it, ignoring all else.

  Ms. Pettigrove worked in a specialized field—she located missing paranormal. She had started out many moons ago when she worked for the FBI, dealing with humans committing a range of crimes. Most times fueled by one of two things, either drugs or alcohol, sometimes if she was really unfortunate, it would be both. When a case came across her desk that involved a wolf shifter who needed to be kept out of the public eye and off the grid, she saw an opportunity to forge her own business. I See You or I.S.Y. was born from a need to do more with her life. She had located this wolf and delivered him to his elders for them to deal with on a closed sanctum. When she had woken the next day, her answering machine had twelve messages waiting for her. Word had spread very quickly about her unique ability to locate, deliver, and keep silent with paranormal cases. Everything from missing relatives that had vanished on purpose, to murderers that needed to be brought to justice that suited their species.

  Pettigrove had a perfect score when it came to criminals. They always left trails and being an owl shifter, there was nothing that got missed by her exceptional sensory receptors. The fact she worked mostly at night never caused questions with the humans. A lot of FBI trackers worked best under the cover of darkness.

  People who wanted to vanish were a lot harder to find. When a paranormal didn’t want to be found, they knew exactly what to do to cover their trails. It was a matter of looking for what wasn’t there, not what was. Sometimes what was missing was the exact piece you needed to find them.

  Pettigrove had been looking for this missing person for a few years. She was the daughter of a very powerful man. But obviously she didn’t want to be found… until now that was. Pettigrove never felt guilty about finding those who strived for invisibility. She had bills to pay, and what happened after delivery was none of her business. She was paid exuberant amounts for her silence.

  Her cell buzzed with an incoming call. Taking a breath and settling back into her comfortable chair she answered, “Good evening, Q.”

  “You have news for me?” his reply came with no emotional attachment. He cared not for the feelings of the people involved, he simply wanted to know where his daughter was.

  Pettigrove had dealt with power-hungry men before, but there was something about this one. He had a disturbing energy level. Dangerous. She could easily see him killing someone with a smile on his face. If it hadn’t been for the mill
ions of dollars waved in her face, she wouldn’t deal with him. Pettigrove had met some truly evil people in her occupation, both human and not, but Q? He was a level all to himself.

  “I have, she’s in Japan. Tokyo specifically,” Pettigrove said with confidence. “I have confirmed sightings and am presently packing my bags to retrieve her for you.”

  “Japan?” She could hear the interest that drove in Q’s head before he continued, “I have a sudden interest in Tokyo myself.”

  “You do?” Pettigrove said surprised. She waited in silence for a reply, the only indication that the line was still connected was the shuffling sound of papers.

  “Correct,” Q suddenly replied. “It has only just popped up. I’m looking to make a trip there shortly. I don’t know if it’s something I necessarily want my daughter involved in, though.” Silence again as the paper shuffled again. “You will bring her here. Correct?”

  “If that’s what you—” she started to say.

  “It is,” Q interrupted. “I expect to see you without any further delays.”

  Pettigrove held the cell as it went dead in her hands. Lifting her eyebrows, she chirped, “Thank you so much. You’ve been so helpful. I couldn’t do it without you,” she mocked a faux reply from Q, as she raised her middle finger to the phone she held in her other hand. “Fuck you, too, Q.”

  Rolling her shoulders to release the stress he caused her, she pressed number 1 on her cell.

  “Castaway Travel… how can I make your dreams come true?” a female voice answered with a level of happiness that Pettigrove felt should be illegal to humankind.

  “Return ticket to Tokyo. Leaving immediately,” Pettigrove flatly stated. She wasn’t about to match the chirpy bullshit this female was selling. She just wanted to book the fucking ticket and go pack.

  Taryn stood back against the wall, she was dripping wet and in a room she didn’t know. The cold stone that pressed against her skin was all that separated her and the open ocean she had just been dragged through. A few meters away stood the reason she was there. He had his back to her, his head hanging down between his shoulders as she watched him return to his human form.

  Taryn’s mouth hung open as she saw the massive blue wings fold up and vanish within two open slits in his back. The scales that decorated his body were absorbed back into the skin which was now closing up around the gills down his side. The shock of what she was seeing dried up her libido faster than dildo shopping with your grandmother.

  Attor couldn’t face her yet. Confirming her disgust at what he was, would be too much for him to handle right now. Instead, he turned his head, and he spoke to his shoulder. “Do you hate me?”

  After a moment’s silence, the words he dreaded hearing floated to his ears. “With all that I am. Yes.” Her tone held a malice that made his face wince with pain.

  “Taryn…” Payton came around the corner with a towel in hand. “Welcome.”

  “Pay…” She swallowed her shock. “Payton?”

  “The one and only.” She smiled softly, she was sure that the first time she’d come through that door in the arms of Volos, her face looked very similar to the one that Taryn was now showing. “I’m guessing you have a few questions. Want to grab a coffee?”

  Taryn froze for a second, then shook her head. “No!” she stated loudly. “I don’t want a fucking coffee. I mean… what the actual fuck, Payton? Coffee? Really?” Taryn’s panic grew with every word she shouted. “This is kidnapping. This is illegal… this is… this is…” she pointed to Attor who was still facing the wall not making eye contact with her, “… this is fucking batshit crazy.”

  Payton looked at Attor, his chest was deflating with the anger that bounced around the room. “V is looking for you.” He turned to the sound of Payton’s voice. “Off you go. I got this…” She nodded with a wink. “It will be okay, I promise.”

  Attor nodded and left to the sound of Taryn’s voice screeching obscenities about him. Payton handed the towel to her new guest. “It’s a shock, isn’t it?”

  Taryn snatching the towel and started wiping the dripping water from her body. “How?” she said. “What?” Stuttering out, “I-I mean… w-what’s happening?” She suddenly stopped and held her hand up to stop Payton’s words. “On second thought, I don’t want to know,” she said. “Just take me home.”

  “Can’t do that. Sorry,” she said with a shrug. “I’m not like them if I try to take you out there…” she pointed to the door she’d just entered through, “… we will be a shark’s next meal.”

  “If you are not… then…” Taryn flicked her eyes from the door to Payton.

  “I am human. Completely normal, just like you,” Payton said. “You know this would be far more comfortable over a cup of coffee.”

  “You don’t know anything about me. I’m not who you think I am,” Taryn said, her voice climbing again with panic. “I have to get out of here. I can’t be here… they are…” Her eyes locked with Payton’s. “Dragons!” The last word disgusted her, it was like pure acid pouring from her throat.

  Something about the way that last word sounded made Payton pause. “You’re perfectly safe here,” she confirmed. “The brothers will help you with whatever is threatening your life.” Payton nodded with encouragement. “This is a good thing.”

  “Good thing?” Taryn spat. “How can being kidnapped by a monster ever be a good thing?” her stare at Payton was of disbelief. “You want to protect me from my demons by offering me as a sacrifice to these monsters?”

  A cough from the door made the woman both look up. Volos stood tall and proud, trying his best to not react to the names his people were presently being called. “I understand this is a shock, Taryn, but name calling will do nothing to help your cause,” he said with the presence of a true leader. “Besides, sacrifices are so last century.” He winked at Payton.

  “Look,” Taryn said with a mildly contained panic. “Just take me home. I won’t say anything.” She shook her head. “You don’t know who and what I am,” she pleaded, with sincerity in her voice. “I need to get out of here before they find me… and you.”

  Payton listened to what her friend was saying. It was odd that she hadn’t actually reacted to the fact that dragons existed, only that she couldn’t be here. Maybe that’s just the way she reacts, Payton said to herself. Just seems odd. After all, how many times do you get to see a set of dragon wings spring from a man’s back? Shrugging to herself, Payton decided to brush it off as nervous energy. Taryn had always seemed a little odd to her anyway, and who was she to dictate the ‘proper’ way to react to seeing a dragon anyway.

  “I will make a deal with you,” V said. “Stay for the night, seeing as you’re here already.” He smiled. “Tomorrow, if it’s safe, we will return you, and you can choose to forget this ever happened,” V said with empathy to her situation. It can’t be easy to be thrust into an underwater cave and told to relax. “If that’s what you choose to do.”

  Taryn looked at Volos then to Payton and back again. “One night?”

  V nodded. “One night.”

  “Okay,” Taryn reluctantly agreed to the terms as she looked to Payton. “Anything stronger than coffee in your bag of tricks?”

  Payton laughed. “Of course. Come this way.” She motioned for her to follow as they left the room together. An uneasy truce being called for the time being.

  Volos walked out and nearly ran into Attor, who had been standing just out of view but heard everything that was being said. “Brother,” V said on an exhaled breath. “You have your work cut out for you, and one night to achieve it.”

  “You would return her?” Attor asked with surprise.

  “I never break a deal. I suggest you don’t fuck around…” he went to walk past him, “… you have a woman to win over.” Snorting with a swallowed laugh, he’d been there and done that. Volos didn’t envy the chaos that Attor was about to subject himself to, all in the name of fate.

  “Thanks, I think,” Attor
mumbled as he cast his eyes left to the empty hallway that Payton and Taryn had disappeared down.

  “What am I here for again?” Jo asked in a hushed voice. He was walking behind his brother as they crept along the darkened grass. V had given the same coordinates that Attor had followed the day before. When Attor had mentioned the strange behavior of the woman in the window, V decided it was something that was worth looking into. With the arrival of Taryn at the Nest, Attor found himself unavailable, so Volos gave the assignment to Jo and Ladon.

  “Bait…” Ladon smirked as he threw the comment over his shoulder. “If we get sprung, I’m throwing you down while I run.”

  Jo snorted. “Brotherly love at his best, huh?”

  “Natural selection, Jo.” Ladon laughed quietly. He’d found a small area that wasn’t in the path of any cameras. A small entry door that was for all intents and purposes, from the outside, completely unguarded. Ladon knew this type of door, it was old and had only one central hinge. Ladon leaned into the staff door, lifting it slightly and applying a reasonable amount of weight to the central part of the door until he heard the jamb pop.

  Jo sat back on a shadow, just off the left, keeping his eyes open for any unwanted attention. Looking over when he heard the pop, he saw Ladon quietly lift the door and slide it open enough to let them through. With a hand motion for his brother to follow, Ladon vanished inside the building.

  “What floor did Attor say the woman was?” he asked Jo, as he clambered through the small door gap.

  Looking up to his brother he replied, “It’s funny how you think I was paying attention.” Laughing, he said, “Third floor.” He sighed as Ladon shared a look of disappointment toward his brother’s inability to take things seriously. Jo repeated like a parrot, “The woman was a dirty blonde. She was on the third floor, second window from the left. Blue curtains. Had a look of recognition on her face. Thinks she’s the one possibly speaking to Q.”