Fathom (Mermaids of Montana #3) - Elsa Jade Page 0,87

Cretarni.”

“Which will end Tritona’s chance for rejoining the intergalactic community,” Sting finished.

Evens cleared his throat. “I can salvage the wreck in the lake. No one needs to find that.” When they all looked at him, he shrugged one shoulder. “The least I can do.”

Her mother hugged her again. “There’s nothing else you can do. You have to trust your friends are wise enough to be on the lookout and strong enough to hold up against another attack. Remember, they’ve survived this long.”

Lana hunched away from the comforting touch. “Not against my power.” Whatever they might say, this was her fault.

So many times, she’d run away. And this time, when she most wanted to avoid the truth, she was stuck, with no way to escape…

“The Atlantyri,” she blurted.

Sting shook his head. “The parts we could’ve used to rebuild the array, I already scavenged for the Diatom.”

Which was a smoldering, sodden ruin—again, thanks to her.

“Not to send a message,” she said. “To go to war.”

Chapter 17

Evens offered to drive them as close to the Atlantyri’s resting place as they could get via roadway. Since there was no way Sting was going to reveal the location of the exodus ship to the shifty shopkeeper, he reminded Evens that he’d already offered to dismantle what was left of the Diatom before it was discovered. Evens hesitated—the value of alien tech moving like shadows in his hooded eyes—then agreed.

“But I’m not just being a scavenger,” he reassured Sting. “I genuinely want to preserve the quietude here in Sunset Falls.”

“So you can reopen the IDA outpost.”

“Well, yes.” Evens peered at him. “You think it’s a bad idea? After I gave you all that good advice about winning Lana?”

“No,” Sting said softly. “I think you should put more love in the universe. The universe is more vast and dark than any sea, and love is one of the lights to guide us through the deeps.”

“The Big Sky Intergalactic Dating Agency: a light for lovers in this dark universe… I like that. Can I use that in a meme?”

Sting had no idea what the man was talking about. He held out one hand. “Keys.”

Evens blinked. “For?”

“Your faster vehicle.”

Which was how he got the keys to the Maserati.

With Thomas’s help, he quickly loaded up the Earther vehicle with a few important supplies. At the last, the guardsman handed over a box labeled ‘baking’.

“Everything is here that you need to make chocolate pudding cups,” he said. “For when you win the war.”

“You have confidence.”

Thomas smiled serenely. “The power of chocolate. The power of love.” His smile turned fiercer. “Miss Lana’s power.”

As they’d prepared for the return to Tritona, they’d shared everything that had happened and their thoughts on what would happen next. “Lana’s power was taken from her,” Sting reminded the guardsman.

“Was it? That wasn’t the power I was talking about.”

Sting blinked. “Then what?”

But his focus was hooked by Lana appearing in the doorway. With her small figure framed by the damage behind her, and with the reminder that her power had been stolen, she should’ve looked vulnerable, even weak. And yet every part of his body exposed by his refurbished battle skin felt the impact of her presence as if she’d attacked him with a fighting pulse.

Thomas chuckled under his breath, but Sting was too focused to respond. Without her fire-witch curse, if they fought off this latest Cretarni attack, the Tritonesse would welcome her as a long-lost cousin, boosting Tritona’s census. She would have her choice of powerful Tritonyri males—or none at all, since her calm cleverness would be much valued in the Tritonesse halls of science and study. If she decided to forgive them for infecting her unknown ancestors with a biogen weapon of Cretarni design. She had a future on Tritona, if he could win one for her.

Thomas nudged him. “Go get her,” he urged. “This is a big step for her.”

Sting eyed the shallow stone stairs. Which he’d seen her navigate easily many times before. “I could carry her,” he said thoughtfully. “I always like to do that.”

“Not that step,” Thomas said patiently. “Leaving her home. Again.”

“But she’s done that many times too,” Sting pointed out.

“And it hurt her. This is where you can help.”

With a nod of understanding, Sting strode toward Lana. She was embracing her mother again. “I’ll be back,” she said in a hoarse voice.

“Or I’ll come see you.” Although Kailani smiled, her dark eyes, like Lana’s, glistened with tears. “I know you’ll always find your way. Not because of any magical