Page 81 of Ruby
She throws her head back and answers in the same strange, echoing tones. Not human words, but something that vibrates in my teeth. The ocean answers, somehow, although it is nowhere to be seen.
The tones sharpen. They are absolutely arguing.
“Shut up,” she calls back in whale voice, but with affection in her tone.
“Don’t give them my voice too,” the creature wails.
“Oh, don’t start!” another voice from down in the water adds before switching to English, voice impossibly bright right after a near death situation. “You got the dramatic entrance you wanted, Kira! It looked amazing, but, uh, maybe you need to practice that glide some more?”
Kira huffs, then shakes herself. “Eli, tell Wroahk he needs to help someone across. It looks like Bird-Guy is back, but I don’t think he’s up for a climb… or a swim.”
I try to move toward Szhe’ka, but Kira holds an arm out toward me, taking a step back, but keeping herself between us. “Not unless you want tentacles, Birdie Girl.”
My eyes narrow at the nickname as Eli responds, voice echoing strangely from the water. “Fine. But you’re going to have to take him hunting so I can get some space. He will be completely incorrigible after we add this many to our community.”
“Just have him get Bird-Guy home and we’ll figure it out later,” Kira calls back down.
Eli starts speaking whale, telling the big creature—Wroahk I presume—all about how he isn’t allowed to crush us into pulp.
Another drawn-out note rolls in, offended. My eyes widen as they continue arguing, deals made and remade until suddenlythey stop. I turn just in time to see Wroahk surge up the rock shelf, tentacles flying, and Szhe’ka vanishes.
My heart stops.
Then I see him again. Not falling, but caught in writhing tentacles and dragged cleanly into deeper water instead of onto stone. I exhale so hard it hurts.
Kira watches my face and smirks. “So. Have you had sex yet?”
“What?”
“With Bird-Guy. Or the furry one. Or any of the aliens.” She gestures vaguely around like it’s a casual topic. “Important question.”
“That is none of your business.”
“Whoa. Touchy.”
“I am not touchy,” I seethe. “You just—Why would you ask that?”
She lowers her voice like she’s sharing gossip instead of something terrifying. “Because if you haven’t boinked one yet, and you don’t want tentacles or drakonid bonus features, you might want to keep your distance from anyone new. Including me.”
My brain blanks. “Explain.”
“Nope.” She snaps her wings out. “We are not talking about evolutionary biology while armed idiots are still around. Swim first, talk later.”
“Fuck no. That is not how information sharing works,” I yell, the Bitch rising to the surface as things spin out of control. “Especially after a cryptic discussion of sex!”
She points at the water, steel on her face and in her limbs and suddenly the fight leaves me.
The Bitch really is useless, I remind myself.
I move back to the cliff as Azoeul darts over and offers help.
“Yep, get that DNA all over ya. That fur should be fun to try to shave off your legs,” Kira quips.
She hops over the edge, snapping her wings out and making another graceless glide down until she lands sideways in the water below. I seethe the whole way down, not sure how to act around Kira, though I keep my mouth shut so Azoeul doesn’t think I’m complaining about his help.
It’s the only reason I get down in one piece.
Kira is on the lake shore when we get down, dripping wet but composed. “What language for this guy?”
