As he swam closer, movement in the corner of his eye pulled his attention. A small tentacled creature floated in the shadows of the cave, smaller than a common octopus. Yet, it was more brightly colored and hadtwelvetentacles. From the coloration alone, it looked more like a Nefyrian, only tiny. Qylar hurled himself towards it, knowing that had to be the source of the alarm.
The creature hesitated a moment before swimming with great speed,farfaster than an aquatic species on Earth could possibly travel. Possibly faster than one of his own kind. It bypassed him, avoiding his tentacles. Qylar gave chase, barely capableof keeping up with the little speedster. It wove a chaotic path, zigzagging as it went, making it harder to tail him.
After a few minutes, though, the creature slowed. He appeared to be wearing out. Qylar could swim at speed for days. He only needed to bide his time and let the creature wear itself out.
But it was wily, too. It slipped through tiny crevices in the rock formations on the sea floor, ones too small for Qylar to fit through. It darted in and out of a rusted ship’s hull before Qylar could reach it. He refused to give up, though. Something told him it was the very same presence he’d been feeling near his ship for months.
The very thing that had set off the proximity alarm three times now. He would have answers as to who or what it was, or else.
If Cryss’s family was in danger, he was damned well going to find out from whom.
The more he chased, the slower the creature traveled. Finally, he was able to catch up and use his superior size to grab hold. After securing it with a thick hold, he swam back towards the ship. It fought for freedom, wriggling in his grasp, but had little energy left. Once they reached the ship, he swam through the water wall and dragged it inside along with him. He slinked deeper into the craft until he reached the brig.
Tossing the creature into the center of it, he slapped the console on the wall with his tentacle. A shimmering forcefield zipped and crackled into place. The creature looked like it was struggling to breathe. He inwardly frowned. It had been a minute out of the water, at most, and it struggled? He was almost certain it was a shifter, though. It only had to show its human form to fill its lungs.
Qylar shifted to his and glared at the creature.“Who are you?”
He got no reply… but it appeared to have stopped breathing.
Was I wrong about it? Shit!
A second before he rushed to collect some seawater, the creature transformed into a human shape and drew in a gasping breath.
Qylar’s eyes widened, his jaw dropping.
How?
The man sat curled up, knees to his chest covering his nudity.
They both stared at one another in shock—silent seconds ticking by. Qylar blinked a few times, stepping back until he hit the wall behind him.
Kenji?
A shifter?
A Nefyrian?
Maybe not. He’d beensosmall, but otherwise, he’d looked like one of his kind.
“Who are you?” Qylar asked again.
“You know who I am,” Kenji answered, his chest still heaving a bit.
Qylar marched closer to the forcefield. “Which house are you from?”
Kenji frowned. “House?”
“Which house?!”Qylar roared.
“I don’t know what you’re taking about!”Kenji roared back.
“Whoare you working for?”
Kenji shook his head, brow furrowed. “I’m a bartender.”
“I’ve spent the last two months going to as many bars and restaurants as I can, looking for you. I haven’t found you or anyone who knew of a bartender named Kenji. Maybe because that’s a cover. Maybe you’re a spy.”
Kenji scoffed.“A spy?”
