Deadly Games

knocking her on her backside.

The kraken’s great mantle flexed, and itstentacles flared outward, allowing it to alter course towardthem.

Wait by the hatch, Amaranthe signed,then pushed off the lake floor before the men could object.

Books shouted something. The helmets and thewater made it indistinguishable, so it was doubtlessly herimagination that she heard the word “prudent.”

Amaranthe kicked and paddledone-armed-holding the harpoon launcher made her strokes awkward-tothe porthole, then treaded to maintain a position in front of it.She waved her arm, trying to draw the kraken’s attention. She neednot have made the effort. The beast had already spotted her. Hungryblack eyes bored into her soul, as if they might freeze her by themight of their stare alone. The tentacles spread out, suction cupslining the dark purple flesh, and two long limbs stretched towardher.

On the floor below, Maldynado and Akstyrraised their harpoons. Though Amaranthe knew they would not likeit, she lifted a hand, telling them to wait. She wanted to see ifher idea worked first. If not…they could fire everything they hadinto those tentacles. Each one was as thick as Maldynado’s chestand could wrap her in a grip she could never escape.

One darted toward her. Amaranthe kicked out,pushing off the porthole glass, angling down toward her men.

The tentacle clipped the fortress wall.Lightning streaked up the purple flesh, and sparks danced over thesuction cups.

A high-pitched squeal assaulted Amaranthe’sears. The tentacle jerked away. Black ink clouded the water, andthe kraken retreated.

Two harpoons flew from below. With the krakenalready swimming away at top speed, Amaranthe did not expect much,but one blade did clip a tentacle. It was hard to tell if thepoison had any effect on the creature.

She landed on the lake floor beside the men.Got that hatch open yet?

We were busy trying to protect you.Maldynado frowned at her.

Yes, Books added. Didn’t we discusshow you were going to partake only in prudent actions goingforward?

Is there a prudent way to fight a giantsquid? Amaranthe signed.

Hide behind someone tastier looking thanyou? Akstyr suggested.

Before they could discuss it further, asucking noise sounded-a seal being broken. The hatch swungoutward.

Amaranthe started for it, but Maldynadobumped her aside with his hip, gave her a pointed look, and wentfirst. Feeling protective, was he?

She followed right after, careful not totouch the outer frame of the hatchway, lest it be electrified aswell. They entered a tiny chamber full of water. Another hatch,identical to the first, waited on the inside.

Maldynado reached for the wheel-shapedopening mechanism, stopped with his hands inches away, drew backand poked it with his sword. No sparks or branches of lightning ranup the blade.

Metal conducts electricity, you twit,Books signed. If the door had been charged, thatwouldn’t have helped.

Maldynado sheathed his rapier and managed toelbow Books in the process. He tried the wheel, but it did notmove.

Maybe we have to close the outside doorfirst. Books eyed the walls. There must be a way to make thewater drain out before one enters the main structure.

Akstyr pulled the outer hatch shut. The lightfrom outside disappeared, and blackness dropped over them.

“Well, that’s lovely,” Amaranthe said.

Since the helmets and the water precludedtalking, she had to imagine the sarcastic comments from the others.It was a strange sensation, being in the dark with water swirlingabout her. Inside the helmet, her breaths echoed in her ears.Somewhere in the distance, a throbbing woo-wah noisepulsed.

A clunk sounded, reverberating from within anearby wall. Water tinkled, as if running down a drainpipe, butnothing happened quickly. When she reached up, Amaranthe found onlya two-inch-high pocket of air at the top of the chamber.

When the water lowered to chest level, sheremoved her helmet, figuring it would be better to talk to thenaked girl looking like a human being, not some mad tinkerer’sperson-shaped walking machine.

With the helmet off, the woo-wah soundrang more loudly in her ears. An alarm? And if so, was it for herteam, or for the marine ship overhead? The latter she hoped, butthere could be a squad of guards waiting with rifles on the otherside of the hatch, especially given how long it was taking thechamber to drain.

Water splashed behind her-someone elseremoving his helmet.

“Are we shooting people?” Maldynado asked,and Amaranthe imagined him hefting the harpoon launcher.

“We should save the poisoned harpoons for thekraken,” she said. “We don’t have many, and I suspect we’ll have todeal with it before this is over.”

“Are we stabbing people then?”Maldynado asked. “Or is this like with soldiers and enforcers whereit’d be bad for our image to kill them?”

Amaranthe winced at the idea that it was onlytheir image that kept her from killing people, but she knew what hemeant. “I doubt we’ll run into any enforcers down here, and we canassume any soldiers have gone rogue.” She thought of the messagethese people had sent to the enforcers, claiming they would beturning a dead Sicarius in for reward, and she had little troublehardening herself toward them. “We don’t need to go out of the wayto butcher anyone, but…we’re going to be outnumbered. Don’t letmercy get you into trouble.”

“Understood,” Books said quietly.

When the water level dropped to her knees,Amaranthe figured it was low enough. “Time to go,” she said, thoughher fastidious streak made her wince at the idea of water gushinginto the corridor, leaving the enemy’s floor in need of amopping.

Maldynado grunted a few times. “The wheel’snot budging. How do we get out?”

“Never overlook the obvious.” Amarantheknocked.

He snorted, but the hatch creaked open. Afoot of water flowed into the corridor. Though dim, the lightingwas bright after the darkness of the chamber, and Amaranthesquinted. After a few blinks, the nude woman came into focus. Shestood in the corridor, ignoring the water dampening her bare feet.She alternated glancing both ways down the passage and plyingAmaranthe with questioning looks. One of the men stirred, and thewoman jumped away, pressing her back to the wall.

Lowering her harpoon launcher, Amaranthestepped into the corridor and raised a friendly hand. “We’re hereto help.”

The men crowded out behind her. Maldynado andBooks had the maturity not to gape openly at the naked woman-evenin her frazzled state, she had a tall, athletic form with curvesenough to interest any man-but Akstyr was another matter. Amarantheelbowed him, and he closed his mouth.

“I’m Amaranthe,” she told the girl. “I assumeyou’re one of the kidnapped athletes?” The alarm going off made herwant to grab the woman by the arm and demand to be taken to theothers immediately, but they would get farther with a cooperativeguide.

“Yes, I’m Merva.”

“A pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” Maldynadomanaged a graceful warrior-caste bow even in the confiningcorridor, with the bulky helmet beneath his arm. “Are youperhaps-”

“Able to show us where the other prisonersare?” Amaranthe asked, giving Maldynado aplease-wait-to- seduce-her-until-later look.

“And can you let us know,” Books added, “ifthat’s an alarm? Are they trying to find you?”

“I-probably.” Merva touched her mouth withher fingers. “I think they’re after those two men though.”

Amaranthe stood straighter, eyes riveted onthe woman. “A blond man and a scarred one?”