Chapter 157
The ether around me trembles, swirling like a living thing as Wake’s piercing gaze bores into me. His whole body is tense, coiled like a spring ready to snap.
“Going to be fine?” he says, his voice low and dangerous. “Phoebe, what happened to you, and why didn’t you tell me immediately?”
I let out a frustrated sigh, trying to temper my nerves. “More important things are happening right now. I didn’t want you to worry.”
His jaw tightens, his sharp blue eyes blazing. “That’s not your call to make! It’s not your place to decide what I do or don’t worry about. To me, there is nothing—nothing—more important than my mate’s wellbeing. You expect me to focus on anything else when you could be dead or dying? That is unacceptable.”
He turns sharply, swimming toward the direction of the village, his movements purposeful and furious. Panic rises in my chest, and I dart in front of him, waving my arms in protest.
“Wait! Stop!” I try to sound calm, but my voice cracks under the weight of his anger. “We’re not that far from the cave system, okay? You and Khale will find us sooner or later. And then, a broken leg won’t matter.”
He freezes mid-motion, his face a storm of disbelief and fury. “Your leg is broken?” His words are like a whip, sharp and cutting.
I wince, realizing I’ve let it slip. “It’s not that bad—”
“Get the fuck out of my way,” His voice is a low growl, his anger barely contained.
“Wake!” Khale’s voice slices through the tension like a blade. He points toward the seafloor, his sharp green eyes narrowing. “Look.”
The ground rumbles beneath us, a deep groan reverberating through the water. Heat surges as plumes of volcanic gas and debris erupt from the seafloor; the sudden temperature spike stinging against my incorporeal skin. Clouds of ash bloom around us, reducing visibility to a murky haze.
“Hide!” Khale barks, shoving Wake behind a jagged outcropping of rock. I follow instinctively, though the ether keeps me untouchable. The oppressive heat is palpable even in this spectral form, the air itself trembling with energy.
Peering out from behind the rocks, my breath catches. A massive submarine rises from the rift, its angular body cutting through the water like a predator. The faint glow of its engines casts eerie shadows across the ridge, highlighting its dark, metallic surface.
I freeze, my stomach sinking. “I know that submarine,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.
Khale’s face hardens, his stoicism cracking. “I’ve seen something like that before,” he mutters. “But if it’s anything like what my people helped the Abyssinians build…”
Wake’s expression darkens, his jaw clenched. “It’s a war machine. And there are more where those come from.”
Khale spins on him, his gaze blazing. “Your clan’s been hiding these machines?”
“Not us,” Wake snaps. “But we know who has.”
I swallow hard, my voice shaking as I speak. “And we also know who’s been collecting explosive minerals and setting off earthquakes.”
Khale’s head snaps toward Wake, his voice deadly. “Who?”
Wake’s lips press into a grim line. “Enigma.”
Khale’s eyes flash with rage, a glow emanating from them like embers catching fire. “You recognize them?” Wake asks.
Khale’s hands curl into fists. “Only what Cora has told me,” he growls. “And for that alone, they will suffer.”
“Hop in line, buddy,” I mutter under my breath.
Another violent tremor shakes the ridge, and this time, the seafloor splits open with a deafening crack. From the depths of the earth, a shadow rises, immense and terrifying. The muzzle of a megalodon breaches the rift, its massive jaws glinting in the dim light. The sheer size of it is staggering, its body stretching longer than a small ship. It thrashes violently, dislodging chunks of rock and debris as it forces its way upward.
My heart seizes in my chest. “My God! The damage that thing could cause if it reached commercial waters…”
“One of the Elder Kin,” Khale murmurs, his voice reverent and horrified.
Wake’s grip on his weapon tightens, his expression resolute. “It won’t get the chance,” he growls. “We end it here.”
Before I can object, the megalodon lunges, its massive jaws snapping shut on the rocky outcropping we’re hiding behind. The force sends a shockwave through the water, scattering debris and nearly knocking Wake off balance.
He steadies himself, drawing his weapon—a blade that gleams like liquid silver under the faint light. His body shifts, muscles rippling as his claws extend, his transformation into battle mode as seamless as it is intimidating.
“Phoebe,” he says sharply, his voice brooking no argument. “Get back to Cora. Now.”
“No way!” I shout, my incorporeal voice tinged with desperation. “You’re not doing this without me.”
His eyes snap to mine, fierce and unyielding. “This isn’t up for debate. Go.”
The megalodon roars again, its glowing eyes locking onto us with predatory intent. The sound reverberates through the water, shaking the very ridge we stand on.
“I’m not leaving you,” I say, my voice steady despite the terror clawing at my chest.
“Phoebe,” he growls, his tone both pleading and commanding.
Before either of us can say more, the megalodon lunges again, its massive body crashing against the ridge. Wake charges forward, his blade flashing as he dives toward the beast, fangs and claws flashing. Khale follows a beat later, his form a blur of motion as he flanks the monster.
I hover, caught between terror and awe, as the two of them face off against a monstrosity together.
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