by Ros Baxter
The crest lasted for long moments, seeming to climb higher and higher before it crashed down against us, and I was afraid I’d drown in its gushing, rushing insanity. We collapsed as one, and everything had changed.
He propped himself back up on one elbow, and looked at me, and I saw the mirror of my epiphany in his eyes. I had no idea how it could be, after a few days, but I knew that it was true.
“It’s you,” I whispered. “From the dreams.”
“Yes,” he agreed, laughing.
And I knew that no matter what came next, how long or how short the world let this thing between us last, he was mine and I was his. He was the one from my dream, and I would never be alone again while he breathed water or air.
He pulled me down, and we lay for the longest time staring into each other, like people who’d found a slice of themselves that they never knew was missing. It was an utterly new experience for me to be with someone who knew everything about me.
Then I remembered the Seer.
Almost everything.
Two Hours Later: The Queen’s Chambers
Epaste was kneeling like a huge, broken doll before the Queen when Lecanora, Carragheen, Mom and I were called before her again. He did not raise his head, but she met our eyes calmly. Hers were clear and open, but there was immeasurable sadness in their cool depths.
“Epaste and I have spent many hours talking,” the Queen said. “Things are very serious.”
I took a hand each of Lecanora and Carragheen, who were either side of me. I felt the alorha fish jump in Lecanora’s wrist, and marvelled at the strange warmth of Carragheen’s hand. Both sensations gave me support and succor as we sat to listen.
“Tell them, Epaste.”
We waited for the thoughts to be planted in our brains, and were all startled when he spoke. But as he raised his head, his eyes and his words were directed not to us, or to the Queen, but to Mom. “It seems so foolish, now, Lunia.”
Even then, she could not restrain her empathy. She went to him, knelt, and took his arm.
“We all do foolish things, Epaste,” she told him warmly. “And when we do, all we can do is try to make things better, as best we can.”
“Manos found me, when I was at a treaty conference, negotiating the release of the Leigon refugees. At first I was horrified, terrified really. But he… he convinced me that he had changed. That he had spent ten millennia repenting his deeds. That they had come from a twisted admiration of Aegira. And that he only desired to make amends.”
Epaste’s voice was hoarse and broken, unused to being allowed free reign.
“He said he understood my deepest desires, to unify the nations of the deep, to stop the fighting. And maybe even to find peace with the land-dwellers. He said it was possible, but only with the strongest protection, to ensure Aegira would not be destroyed. He told me he had been experimenting with a weapon that could protect Aegira against any foe. And that once we had it, we could negotiate from a place of safety. And unify the world.”
I made a disgusted noise in the back of my throat. “Yeah, right, just like the a-bomb was going to be a great peace-maker.”
Epaste nodded. “I see now how ridiculous the notion was. I am ashamed to say that the weapon only truly became possible after I learned of Zorax’s experiments, from Kraken. But you have to believe that I had no idea that Manos was killing people, tried to kill you. And others… He promised the whole venture would be undertaken peacefully.”
I had never heard Lecanora so cold. “Peacefully except for Imogen and me.”
Epaste collapsed on the floor at her words, prostrate at the Queen’s feet. “He convinced me that the sacrifice of Imogen’s voice was necessary, to hone the weapon. But he assured me she would not be hurt. That once we had come to you with our plan, she would be released. I never imagined that he would take the Princess. I did not know that he had turned some of my aides to his cause — Rila, and some of the seekers — and that they were doing his bidding, over mine. Using them to kill Cleedaline, and try to kill Rania. I am a fool.”
“Yes.” There was no softness in Carragheen’s deep, honey voice.
Epaste spoke again. “Something about Rania made him so afraid, that must be why he killed Cleedaline, to stop her bringing Rania in, but I do not understand why…”
“Then clearly you do not know her,” Carragheen snapped. “He should be well afraid. Of her. And of me. And of us all. Where is he now?”
“I do not know.” Epaste’s voice broke. “I always met him outside the nation, at agreed meeting places. I was careful never to bring him to Aegira.” He paused. “But…”
“But?” The Queen was icy.
“But I am afraid, with all that he has done, contrary to our agreement, and since the incident, the blood in the Eye… I am afraid that he could be here. In Aegira.”
No. It wasn’t possible.
I had thought, when we had rescued the girls, that somehow we were done, or at least my part in all of this was done. That we were almost finished. But at Epaste’s words, I knew he was right. Like a sudden bloody dawn, my vision went red and I felt myself in the grip of something from somewhere else. Carragheen sensed what was happening immediately and rushed to my side, supporting me as I lay prone on the ground before them all. It was like the first time, the first vision, so powerful it stole the breath from my body and made me weak.
The world was red with blood, and an evil presence was laughing behind its crimson curtain. The presence was huge and menacing, the backdrop to everything. Something was different in this vision, different from the other times. I tried to center myself, to switch on to my feelings, which had always been such a reliable guide the other times.
I could not see beyond the blood, but I was struck with a simple certainty.
This wasn’t over.
And worse. This was still my fight. Mine and that of the others here with me. I felt the connections between us, real and immediate, even if I didn’t understand them yet. And I heard Ran telling me, like Rick did, to find the others.
Then it hit home.
This was not a vision of the past.
Or of what was happening now, like when I saw Imogen, trapped and afraid.
It was the future.
I was seeing the future, red and bloody, and I was being told that I needed to stop it. Me and others, connected to me in ways I was only beginning to understand.
After the blood and heat passed, I knew I needed to lie still, recover myself. I knew that the vision had taken a toll on me. But I couldn’t. I had to move. I knew there would be no respite for now. Because there were only two weeks to go.
Two weeks, to change the course of destiny and save the world entire.
Tick, tick, tick.
ALSO AVAILABLE FROM ESCAPE PUBLISHING…
Fast Forward
by Juliet Madison
Aspiring supermodel Kelli Crawford is on the fast-track to fame: she’s beautiful, she’s popular, and she’s dating the perfect guy. But the morning of her 25th birthday dawns with a surprise. She’s no longer 25, in shape, in style, and in demand. She’s 50, wrinkled, weary, and wed to a bona fide nerd.
Trapped in the opposite life of the one she planned, Kelli is forced to re-evaluate her choices and discover what is really important to her. Will she overcome the hilarious and heartbreaking challenges presented to her and get back to the body of her younger self? Or will she be stuck in the nightmare of hot flushes, demanding children, raunchy advances from her husband and hideous support underwear forever?
The Portal
by S. E. Gilchrist
When Janni, a young salvager, boards a space wreck, she is caught for daring to steal Darkon tech by a patroller and the one man she had thought she would never to see again. Several months before, she had allowed him to slip past her defences for a brief and wonderful interlude. But with both of them on either side of the law, they had walked away. Now they are trapped on a wreck and with an alien life force hunting
them. Will the patroller save her life or abandon Janni to her fate?
Chaos Born
- Chronicles from the Applecross - by Rebekah Turner
A fresh and exciting debut novel introducing the Chronicles of the Applecross
Lora Blackgoat, smuggler and mercenary, has been laying low after a job gone bad made her a laughing stock in the industry. When a childhood friend turns to her for help, Lora leaps to restore her reputation and starts hunting a killer who is stalking the gas-lit streets.
She never expects that her path will lead her to the Order of Guides, a sadistic militant religious organisation – or to Roman, a deadly and dangerously attractive half-angel warrior who also hunts the killer.
When Lora discovers that the killer has broken fundamental laws of magic to enter the city, she also uncovers a conspiracy that leads back into her own dark past.
LOVED THE STORY?
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK
Take our short survey to
claim a FREE eBook!
BEGIN SURVEY
Connect with us for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Sign up to our newsletter
Share your reading experience on:
The Escapades Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Watch our reviews, author interviews and more on Escape Publishing TV
ISBN: 9780857990440
Title: Fish Out of Water
Copyright © 2013 by Ros Baxter
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises (Australia) Limited, Locked Bag 7002, Chatswood D.C. NSW, Australia, 2067.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
® and ™ are trademarks of Harlequin Enterprises Limited and are used under license to the Publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in Australia, New Zealand, the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries.
www.escapepublishing.com.au
Table of Contents
About the Author
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Chapter One: The Beginning and The End of Days
Chapter Two: Blondie and Favors
Chapter Three: Kool Mints and Larceny
Chapter Four: Sting-rays and Eight-ball
Chapter Five: Rick Astley and Other Old Friends
Chapter Six: Waltzing and Wondering
Chapter Seven: Whirling And Silence
Chapter Eight: Poison and Alliance
Chapter Nine: A Link and a Hidden Thing
Chapter Ten: Cookies and Visitors
Chapter Eleven: Guilt and (More) Larceny
Chapter Twelve: Love and Guilt
Chapter Thirteen: Leaders and Listening
Chapter Fourteen: Searching and Answers
Chapter Fifteen: Sighs and Songs
Chapter Sixteen: The End of The Beginning
Also Available from Escape Publishing…
Table of Contents
About the Author
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Chapter One: The Beginning and The End of Days
Chapter Two: Blondie and Favors
Chapter Three: Kool Mints and Larceny
Chapter Four: Sting-rays and Eight-ball
Chapter Five: Rick Astley and Other Old Friends
Chapter Six: Waltzing and Wondering
Chapter Seven: Whirling And Silence
Chapter Eight: Poison and Alliance
Chapter Nine: A Link and a Hidden Thing
Chapter Ten: Cookies and Visitors
Chapter Eleven: Guilt and (More) Larceny
Chapter Twelve: Love and Guilt
Chapter Thirteen: Leaders and Listening
Chapter Fourteen: Searching and Answers
Chapter Fifteen: Sighs and Songs
Chapter Sixteen: The End of The Beginning
Also Available from Escape Publishing…