Deadly Games

could tell when thesurface drew close. “Based on what I’ve seen of this place from theoutside, it’s the sort of craft most sane people would shoot at onsight and wait to investigate until it’s capsized and dragged up ona beach. Any questions?”

“If the marines are handling the kraken, wecan use that as a distraction and swim away,” Sicarius said.“There’s no need to risk ourselves against it.”

“We’ve already had a run-in with the thing,”Amaranthe said. “It may be more than the marines can handle unlessthey get creative with their thinking.”

“Like we’re going to.” Books smiled.

“Explain,” Sicarius said.

Books launched into his spiel about thepoison and how they meant to get the kraken to suck the keg intoits vulnerable core. Amaranthe checked the porthole again. Thesediment cloud still swirled about, though the density hadlessened. They were making progress, albeit slow progress. Shehoped the ship didn’t get stuck mid- ascent.

“That plan is dangerous,” Sicarius said.Though he was responding to Books, his gaze settled onAmaranthe.

She spread her arms. “They usually are.”

“What if I can’t swim?” a young womanasked.

“Find someone who can and who thinks you’recute,” Amaranthe said.

“Why does cuteness matter?” Books asked.

“Would you let a woman drown if you thoughtshe was cute and would be utterly grateful to you for saving herlife?”

“I wouldn’t let a woman drown under anycircumstances,” Books said.

Amaranthe arched her eyebrows.

“But especially not ones such as youdescribed,” he admitted.

Sicarius took Amaranthe’s arm and guided herseveral steps from the athletes. “I assume you are planning on thiscourse of action regardless of what I do or say.”

Amaranthe thought of Books’s advice. Was shebeing reckless again with this plan? “We’ll only do it if themarines look like they need help.”

“I’ll take the keg then. You’ll be clumsy andslow in that suit.”

“Thanks,” she said dryly. “Me specifically,or anyone in a suit?”

“Anyone, but you were planning on taking therisk, I assume.”

She blushed. True.

“Since I have no suit to drag at me,” hesaid, “I’ll be the logical choice.”

“So that’s why he’s insisted on runningaround naked all day,” Maldynado muttered to Akstyr.

Sicarius leveled a coolback-out-of-our-conversation stare down the corridor. Maldynadolifted his hands and turned to gaze out the porthole.

“All right,” Amaranthe said, drawing him afew more steps away, though part of her did not want to let himtake the role. Emperor’s teeth, she had just rescued him, and nowhe wanted to risk his life again. But he was her most skilled man,not some vulnerable neophyte. It made sense to use him for thedangerous work. “You’ll take the keg, but be careful, please. Don’trisk holding your breath so long that you pass out and sink to thebottom.”

“You don’t believe I’m cute enough torescue?” he asked, deadpan.

“Oh, you’re decent.” She gave him a once overbefore remembering how nude he was. Her blush belied her offhandtone. “But we’ll be busy shooting harpoons into this beast todistract it for you. At least take someone to help you.”

Sicarius raised his voice to say, “Basilard.”He pointed upward.

Amaranthe would have picked someone whowasn’t injured, but they exchanged nods of understanding. Shewondered what the two had talked about while incarcerated downhere.

Maldynado cleared his throat. “Just in caseanyone was concerned we wouldn’t get to play with the kraken, it’sstill alive, and-” he leaned closer, cheek pressed against theporthole, “-it’s got the marine ship wrapped up tighter than loverstangled in the sheets.”

Amaranthe darted to the porthole. Thesediment cloud had disappeared, and they were thirty or forty feetfrom the surface. The depth did little to mute the brilliantmorning sunlight, and she had no trouble making out the black hullof the Saberfist. It had to be a substantial ship to do itsjob, but the tentacles curled along the bottom of it made it appearinsignificant. To the side of the vessel, more tentacles swirledabout like live snakes in a pit.

The current brought something large in tothump against the porthole. It must have bumped the hull, too,because lightning streaked out, surrounding it and illuminating itall too well.

Amaranthe’s stomach curdled. It was a body ina marine diving suit, one leg torn off.

“Ew,” Akstyr said. “That one’s a krakensnack.”

Annoyance flared within Amaranthe, and shealmost snapped at him to show respect. But she bit her lip. Thoughshe had arranged this “distraction” and felt-was-responsiblefor any marines who died down here, Akstyr had no reason to careabout them.

“Ready your suits. We’re going out.”Amaranthe plunked her helmet over her head and started screwing thefasteners together. “Everyone who’s not on my team, stay here andwait for the marines to get you. And don’t forget. When they askyou who came down to help you, I’m Amaranthe Lokdon, that’sSicarius, and we’re The Emperor’s Edge. You can tell that to anyjournalists who happen by, too.”

Maldynado cleared his throat, probablyplanning to deliver his own parting words, words that touted hiscopious merits. Amaranthe opened the hatch to the transitionchamber and pushed him inside. She handed him a harpoon launcherand grabbed one for herself. The rest of the men piled in behindher. Helmets clanked against each other as everyone squeezed to fitinside. It had been tight before, with the four of them, and nowthey had two more men squished amongst them.

Sicarius stood next to her, holding the keg.Maybe she should offer some heartfelt parting words, in case…

“Be careful,” was all she could manage withso many witnesses around.

He gazed into her faceplate and gave her asolemn nod. He understood.

“Basilard,” Amaranthe said, “open the doorwhen you’re ready. The water will come in fast.”

He nodded and squeezed between Maldynado andBooks.

“Easy,” Maldynado told him. “Watch whatyou’re grazing with that harpoon.”

“He doesn’t have a harpoon launcher,” Akstyrsaid.

Maldynado stared at him.

“Oh,” Akstyr said. “I get it.”

With his dagger clenched between his teeth,Basilard gripped the wheel to the hatch. He took a few deep breathsin preparation. Beside Amaranthe, Sicarius took a differentapproach. He stood still, body relaxed, eyes hooded, like someDaikon mystic deep in a meditation routine.

Basilard opened the hatch, and water floodedinto the chamber. Amaranthe waited, making sure Sicarius andBasilard slipped out before she maneuvered for the exit.

Sunlight filtered through the water fromabove. Their rate of ascent had slowed, and they were still twentyfeet from the surface. Another of the thick, dark purple tentacleshad snaked beneath the Saberfist. Even as she watched, oneof the free ones thrust out of the water. From her viewpoint, shecould not see what it did on the deck, but two men flew overboardon the opposite side of the ship.

Amaranthe hefted her harpoon launcher andgestured for her team to fan out around the laboratory. They wouldhave to convince the kraken to leave the Saberfist and swimfor Books’s plan to work. Sicarius and Basilard were alreadyangling toward the surface. Maldynado, her strongest remainingswimmer, headed in to make the first shot, to lure the beastdownward. Books, Akstyr, and Amaranthe treaded water near the topof their vessel and waited, harpoons ready.