“No answer, Captain Conlan,” Handy said through my shell. “Would you like me to try her again?”
I gritted my teeth as I kicked at a rock in the ripple. The Earthwalkers would have called them roads, but they didn’t live on the ocean’s floor. And most Earthwalkers were stupid anyways.
She should be here. This was listed as her dwelling. Although why she had such a scatty place to live was anyone’s guess. Not that it was horrible, but it was certainly less than what she was owed. She was a ranked officer in His Majesty’s Navy. She deserved more than this.
“Captain? Are you still there?” Handy called.
I blew out a breath. “Yes, Handy. And no, don’t worry about connecting to her. I’ll find her. Thank you for your help.” I hit the shell’s smallest curl.
Where the hades was she?
Maybe she has a partner? Ever think of that, you giant mola mola? She’s probably off in some gourami’s home, bouncing on his rod. Images of her pretty hair covering her tits as she tossed her head back in pleasure filled my mind.
I gritted my teeth again. This female had to be a mage or something. Maybe goddesses had come back from extinction, and she was one of them. She’d cast some kind of spell over me.
I nodded. That was it. It had to be. The fairer sex was pretty much interchangeable to me. None of the females had ever landed me. I danced on their line for as long as I wanted, then I spat out the hook and danced away, as free as ever.
Stretching out my arm, I tapped on her door again. Yeah, because she’s definitely come back to her dwelling in the last two turns, and you just missed her.
Shut up, gourami. She might have come home.
And you’re actually not a gulper eel.
Great. Now I was arguing with myself. And my other myself was winning. What did that say about me?
That you’re a chubsucker?
I snickered. At least myself was funny and smart.
And alone, tapping on a female’s door who doesn’t want to talk to you. Who’s made it abundantly clear that she wants nothing to do with you. What exactly is funny or smart getting you right now?
Glowering, I looked around the closest sections of her ring. The people here were happy and relaxed. Not having power or influence must be nice. If you were into that kind of thing. I was going to keep my spot on the third ring, thank you very much.
Walking down the ripple, I looked for someone who might be able to tell me where Sting—Seren—was.
Do not start calling her some cutesy little pet name. She hates you. If you slip up, she’ll gut you and throw your carcass into the Deep.
Myself wasn’t wrong. But just the idea of tangling with her made my blood heat. And considering I was in my biped form, my excitement over the idea was going to be more readily evident.
“Can I help you, Cap’n?” a young voice asked from behind me.
I turned. Saw a youngling who couldn’t be more than sixteen revolutions old. Shimmering gold skin was topped with brilliant white hair. Fuchsia eyes looked up at me.
I smiled. This should be easy enough. “I hope so. I’m looking for Lieutenant Seren. Can you tell me where she is?”
The youngling scowled up at me. It reminded me of a certain someone. “Why you need to know? She in trouble?”
“Amod! Stop hassling that male. It’s time for dinner,” a shrill feminine voice shrieked from a home down the ripple.
Amod’s face scrunched up. His bright white brows slammed together over his nose. “You leave Seren alone. She’s a good mer. Done nothing wrong.”
“AMOD!”
His shoulders hiked up near his ears. “Leave her alone.” His voice cracked as he stabbed one bony finger up at me. Then he spun on his heel and raced to an angry faced female standing in a doorway.
“Is he bothering you, officer?” she called.
I shook my head. “Not a bit. I’m looking for Lieutenant Seren. Have you seen her?”
The female looked over my shoulder, a slight frown on her face. “She’s usually home before the light finally dies.” She looked at me again. Shook her head. “I haven’t seen her since she left when the light came up.”
Masu. I lifted a hand. “Thank you.”
She nodded and moved aside for Amod to squeeze by her. She ruffled his hair as he scampered in. “I fixed your favorites. Now hurry before it warms up.” She shut the door.
A small smile pulled at my mouth at the scene. She reminded me of my own mother. A bit strict, but full of love and sass.
Speaking of sass…I turned back to Seren’s home. Nothing had changed. No lights were on inside. Nothing had shifted in the doorway that would have spoken to it being opened and shut.
Where the hades was she?
I tapped my shell again. Waited for Handy to connect. “Lieutenant Walna, please, Handy.”
“One moment, please, Captain Conlan.”
Angry whales took over the shell. Whatever was being said, one of them was pissed off at the other. I shuddered. A pissed off whale was not anything I wanted to tangle with, even in full battle armor with a large weapon.
“This is Walna.”
“Hi, Lieutenant Walna, this is Captain Conlan. I’m sorry to bother you in your off hours, but I’m looking for Lieutenant Seren. She’s not at home and no one has seen her since she left your office. Did she happen to contact you?”
You get how desperate this makes you sound, right? That’s not lost on you?
I’m just a fellow soldier looking out for a sister in arms.
My inner self snorted.
Yeah, I didn’t really believe me either.
“No, Captain Conlan, I’m sorry. I haven’t seen or talked to her since she left the hub earlier today.”
I curled my hand into a fist. Fought to keep the annoyance out of my voice. “Okay, it was a shot in the dark. Thank you, Lieutenant Walna.”
“Of course, Captain. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
I shook my head. Not that she could see me. “Actually, do you know if she has any partners or mates? Someone she would go to for counsel?”
Cutting it close on that predator line, sharkie.
If I could have punched myself in the face and only hit the other guy, I would have. But it was still just me fighting with myself.
“Oh. Um…” the shell filled with silence. “Not really. At least, not that I know of. Seren hasn’t been the sociable sort since…you know.”
I winced. “Right. I apologize again, Lieutenant, for bothering you. Thank you for taking my shell.”
“Of course, Captain Conlan. Have a good night.”
“You as well.” I ended the connection. So our girl—I mean, Lieutenant Seren—is a loner who doesn’t like people. She was pissed at getting tossed off the investigation and assumed Neron did it.
Which gave me another thought. If my best friend did have something to do with her getting harpooned from this, we were going to be having a longer discussion.
I tapped my shell again. “Hey, Handy. Sorry for the busy night. Can you connect me to Admiral Neron, please?”
Handy heaved a sigh. “Of course, Captain Conlan. Give me just a click.”
The angry whales were back. But whatever they had been fighting about must have blown over. My balaenoptera wasn’t my best marine language, but I could pick up enough that the subject had changed.
I winced as the female accused the male of something. Apparently the fighting wasn’t over yet. Whatever it was, he was going to be sleeping in the trenches tonight. Poor guy.
“Neron.”
I rolled my eyes at my best friend’s greeting. “Tell me you didn’t have her removed from the investigation.” If he could be blunt and rude, then so could I.
“Have who removed from what?”
My shoulders settled at the pure confusion in his voice. “Lieutenant Seren. She was remo—”
“I distinctly remember telling you to leave her alone, Captain. What the masu are you playing at?” The bite in his voice sent chills down my spine.
Masu. “I ran into her today on my way to the Akis center. I didn’t search her out. But she accused you of getting her planked from the investigation.”
He was silent. Like he usually was. Unless he was having some of the Earthwalkers alcohol. Then the male didn’t shut up.
Maybe I could get some in him? Figure out what was really going on here. It was an idea that needed more thought.
“So? Did you get her tossed?” I asked again when it was apparent he wasn’t going to use his words.
“No. But it appears someone has better sense than you. Leave her alone, Captain. I won’t repeat myself.” He disconnected the shell.
What the masu was his problem? She was gorgeous—although you had to get through her attitude to see it. She was smart. She was trained. Why couldn’t she be involved?
Just as I was walking to this ripple’s section of ocean sluices, a bright light lit up the ocean off in the distance.
Blinking against the glare, I saw the multitude of oceanic life that populated our world. It never ceased to amaze me how humans thought they had the bigger and better part of this planet. They didn’t know the half of it.
But that knowledge didn’t fascinate me the way it usually did. I knew, deep down inside, that this had to do with her. I didn’t know how, and I didn’t know why, but Seren was at the middle of it all.