by Elin Wyn
“Are you ready?”
Staferan blinked. “You’ve just summoned a beast out of legend and your girlfriend appears to be held hostage by local government agents. What’s stopping us?”
The two cousins leapt off the cliff into the dark waters below.
Chapter 11
Crouched in the hull, Elissa knew she was on her own. Krys had surely gone back to his ship by now. She left him, why would he bother looking for her?
Slick with blood, she still couldn’t get her wrists free of the coarse rope. Brad was so fixated on watching the water, circling, staring, she could have gone over the side at any time.
She eyed the distance to shore again, measuring. She was a good swimmer, but could she make it across that much open water with her hands still bound?
Another rough change of direction threw her against the hull, landing on her hip, another lump poking into her thigh. The tube of antibiotic cream. Would it work? She wiggled the skirt of her sundress around so that she could reach the slit of the pocket, fingers straining. Just a little more, there!
She squirted the cream over her wrists, hoping the ointment would be just slippery enough to squirm loose.
Victory!
One hand pulled free, and without looking back she sprung over the side of the hull.
As she slid under the water, she saw a large, pitch-black shape rise from the murky deeps. Massive tentacles ripped through the water, knocking her aside with the force of their wake.
Flung back from the surface, she felt the weight of the ocean on her chest, air crushed from her lungs.
This, I remember this.
And as the darkness came, a strong hand reached for her, pulling her towards the light.
She broke the surface, sputtering.
Krys pulled her close to him, one arm wrapped around her, the other hanging on to the edge of the sled. “We’re going to have to talk about your swimming habits,” he murmured as she clung to his neck.
“What was that?” She stared around, eyes wild. “Did you see that thing?”
“Not a thing, a d’thrai,” Staf answered from the other side of the sled. “I’ve always wanted to see one. Isn’t she beautiful?”
“What?”
“Shhh, you’re safe from her,” was Krys’ cryptic reply.
Elissa watched in horror as sleek tentacles crested the water on either side of the motorboat, then, without warning ripped the fiberglass into shreds. Krys tucked her safely between himself and the sled, but the wreckage flew far overhead.
Brad fell screaming into the roiling water, only to be hoisted out by a suction-cup spotted appendage wrapped around his body like an immense python. His eyes were white with terror as the shape moved further away into the wide expanse of the Atlantic.
“Staf, do you mind?” Krys asked.
“Mind? This is the best day ever.” Staf pushed off from the sled, moving after the wake of the undersea colossus. “I’ll make sure she finds somewhere safe to put him down. Well, safeish.”
As he disappeared Elissa turned back to Krys. “Please tell me what’s going on.”
“Did he hurt you?” Krys’ eyes narrowed as he saw her wrists. “I should have let the d’thrai play with him more.”
He lifted her to the top of the sled then climbed up behind her.
“You’re not answering me again,” she argued, but sank against him as the sled moved gently towards the shore.
“The d’thrai were ancient animals from our original home world. Once warring clans rode them into battle. Probably every child of my people has dreamed of mounting one, even after all this time. We tried to take them with us during the exodus, but the new world didn’t support them.”
“But what is it doing here?”
“I didn’t know how quickly I could reach you, and didn’t know what weapons Agent Singer had. I gambled.” His arms tightened around her. “She was my best chance to pluck you away from him, get you safe. When I saw you jump over the side, my heart stopped.”
“I can swim, you know.”
“I didn’t know what he’d done to you, if he had a weapon, if he’d attack you again.” His voice grew cold. “If I was wrong, I’d have been there in moments. We’re fast in the water, but nothing matches the speed of the old ones.”
She sighed. “You finally have your proof. This is where the lost colony ship landed.” Another thought wandered through her tired mind and she turned her head to study his face against the sun. “And you just happened to know how to command one of those things?”
He had the grace to look sheepish. “I’ve had the controls programed into my cuff since I was a boy. It’s possible I was more obsessed with them than most children.”
She closed her eyes, too drained to laugh. “I thought you left me.”
He gently stroked her wet hair, moving it away from her face. “You left first.”
“I thought you’d go, be safe back on your world. You made it clear I’m just a problem, another responsibility.”
She felt his lips brush her forehead.
“You’re not just a responsibility. Somehow you’ve become my very soul. Can you blame me for worrying? No matter what, no more leaving. We’ll face the universe together. Agreed?”
Elissa answered him with her lips against his, her heart in her throat.
“Together.”
Epilogue
From the shade of the cabana at the edge of Sunset Beach, Elissa peeked out to the crowd of guests, all seated as the musicians neared the end of the introductory set.
Megan re-pinned a stray flower trying to escape from her up-do. “If I had known I just needed to push you a little harder, I would have done it years ago!” She laughed. “Although your timing must have been perfect. What were the chances you and Krys would be on the island at the same time?”
Deidre smoothed out the flowing white silk of the tea length wedding dress one final time. “I just wish that you weren’t going to be travelling so much. Where did you say his family was from again?”
Elissa thought frantically. What had she told her friends again? She needed to write this all down, but there had been no time over the last two months. Krys’ ‘foreign’ family had arranged for a very, very private wedding, and she’d had her hands full soothing her grandparents’ fears.
“I’m just glad that lady isn’t my mother-in-law,” Megan interrupted. “The way she acts, you’d think she was a queen or something.”
“Teta can handle her,” Elissa murmured, still only half paying attention. This was it. In minutes she would be Mrs. Gianopoulous. At least, that’s what the paperwork would say. Would they need another ceremony later?
“Well, yeah, your grandmother can handle anything,” Deirdre shrugged. “Anyhow, did you get a look at your sweetie’s cousin? I’ve never thought much about the stereotype of the maid of honor dating the best man, but I’d never seen him before.”
“Staf’s a good guy.” Elissa smiled. He’d run himself ragged between both of their families, and helping to set up the wedding.
“Never mind all that, the music is starting!”
To the strains of the wedding march, ushers drew back the linen side panels of the cabana, revealing Elissa and her maids-of-honor.
She looked down the aisle and saw Krys standing, waiting for her.
As their eyes locked, and she moved towards him, her heart sang in her chest. She could be decisive. Take what she wanted.
And she wanted a future with Krys, no matter where in the Universe it led.
* * *
*´¨`*•.☆ THE END ☆.•*´¨`*
Thank You
Thank you so much for reading Island Stars! I hope you enjoyed it. I’d love to know what you think – you can email me any time at [email protected]
* * *
If you loved spending time with Elissa and Krys, the best possible way to show it is to leave a review. Readers love to know what you thought before they take the plunge. And authors are nee
dy creatures. We crave praise even more than chocolate or coffee. (Well, maybe it’s a tie for the chocolate….)
* * *
Make sure not to miss the rest of the Catica Island sweet romance books. You can find all the links here: http://www.caticaisland.com/
* * *
If you're interested in more Sweet Science Fiction Romance, please come visit me on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ElinWynBooks/
* * *
And you can get the first chapter FREE of my next novel, Second Chance at the Stars. Just visit here: http://elinwynbooks.com/
Copyright © 2016 by Elin Wyn
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental.