A pair of gangly arms wrapped around her torso, and a head buried itself in the meat of her shoulder. Jessie opened her eyes. That wasn’t Mido, Ed, or Ted hugging her.
“O’Toole, come back here,” Sam said.
Jessie did her best to remain calm as she pried the Irishman’s arms off and shooed him away. She wanted to shove him for touching her, but at the same time she was floored by what he just did. He’d never tried to touch her before. She’d never seen him hug anyone, come to think of it. Dyne was the only person he’d fussed over, but with tears and pawing. This time he was gibbering excitedly as his empty hands reached for her. “O’Toole, stop,” she said firmly. He tucked his arms against his torso like a praying mantis. “Go back to Sam. I need to concentrate.” She pointed to Sam. The Irishman gave her a questioning whine. She pointed again. He drooped his shoulders and trudged over, then latched onto Sam.
“Hey. Stop that.” Sam pushed the Irishman off and held him at bay by one arm. “What’s gotten into you? I’ve never seen you like this.”
Scully said, “Guess he knows something’s up again.”
Jessie faced the ocean and closed her eyes. Hopefully O’Toole’s behavior was a good omen. She pictured the croco-frog monsters in her mind and reached into the sea with her awareness. She rode along the water’s surface, the sensation feeling like drifting in a boat being pulled downstream in a swift current. The sensation gave her butterflies in her stomach.
Her mind then got pulled in a different direction. The yank made her gasp and lose concentration. She blinked several times and eased her death grip on the railing, then took a few calming breaths to ease her racing heart.
“Are you alright, Jessie?” Mido said.
Looking over a shoulder, she nodded and gave him a small wave, then slipped her awareness back into the sea. Something tugged on her mind, eager to make contact with her. She let this other awareness guide her to it. Who or whatever had found her consciousness didn’t feel malicious. Sure, they might be hiding it to lure her in. If that was true, she didn’t care. She’d deal with that “what if” as it came. Her awareness zoomed along the mental river to—
She tried to gasp but she couldn’t take a breath. She first thought she was looking at Amphitrite, but then she realized this woman had wavier hair and a friendlier complexion, and a more petite figure. She had to be Rhode.
Sweet child, came Rhode’s gentle voice, you have harnessed your communal powers at last. I send aid to you. Heed their instruction.
Before Jessie could even say hi, her head snapped back and she saw the cloudless sky. She looked around to make sure she really was back on the ship. The crew was watching her with open wonder, Jacobi with open dislike.
Rammus said, “Well that was an interesting ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes?” The whole trip had felt like seconds, no more than a minute.
“Yeah. So what happened?”
Rhode’s words echoed in her mind. “They’re coming to help.”
“Who’s they?” Scully said.
Jessie shrugged.
Something meaty slapped against the boat’s hull.
Jessie peered over the side. She couldn’t see straight down. What sounded like large rats scurrying up the side made chills run up her spine. She backed away but stopped so she stood between the crew and the railing, just in case she was the only one that could keep everyone alive. Her first impression of Rhode was that the goddess was friendly and genuinely wanted to help, but whatever was crawling up the side of the boat triggered her need for caution. Four creatures climbed on top of the railing and perched there. She took another step back, then forced herself to hold her ground. These were the croco-frog things, except they looked like female versions. They had frog-shaped bodies, bulbous eyes, and croc-like teeth and tails.
Mido appeared beside her, sword held protectively in front of them both. Jessie lowered his sword arm. “Get back. Just trust me.” He gave her a worried frown. “Do it,” she said in her own “don’t argue” voice. He reluctantly backed away and returned to his spot next to Sauna. The water creatures watched Mido with open interest but redirected their attention to Jessie when she faced them. “Rhode sent you to help us.”
The one in front of Jessie said, “Sweet Dyne in trouble. You help.” The creature had a feminine, high-pitched voice.
“How? We don’t know where he is.”
“We do,” another said. “We take you.” The others echoed its words.
Rammus said, “How do we know they aren’t trying to pull a fast one?”
A creature on the end tilted its head. “Fast one? We fast. Swim fast.”
Jessie said, “How do we know you’re here to help us?”
The first one said, “Sweet Dyne in trouble. Need your help. You come.”
“All of us?” she asked skeptically.
“No. Just you.”
“And one other,” a second added.
“I’m going,” Mido said.
The four creatures looked at him. The lead one said, “Can’t. You hers.” It pointed to Jessie. “Mistress said so.”
“He come,” another said, a webbed finger pointing at Jacobi.
Jessie’s stomach dropped. “Why him?”
“Mistress will want trade,” the leader said. “Or she get angry. Very angry.”
“What exactly do you mean by ‘trade’?” She had a feeling she already knew.
“Take something and no give something else is bad. Very bad. Very dangerous. Trade safer.”
“I’m not going anywhere with her or those freaks,” Jacobi said. Cancer elbowed him and snapped at him to shut up.
“Pleasing creature,” one of the monsters said.
“What happens to Jacobi if I trade him for Dyne?”
“You bitch!” He lunged at her but Cancer, Scully, and Sam held him back. He struggled as Scully wrested his sword from him.
The lead creature said, “Dyne sneak away. That one become new prisoner.”
Scully said, “Jessie, you wouldn’t really go through with that, would you?”
She ignored Scully. “New prisoner? Why is he being held prisoner?”
“Mistress angry. Dangerous to take without giving.”
“But you don’t just trade people like that. How long would he stay prisoner?”
One of the creatures dropped onto the deck with a watery thud and tilted its head at Jacobi. “Forever,” it said as if it was no big deal.
Jacobi stopped struggling and his bronzed face paled. He surged backwards and tore out of everyone’s grip. “No. No way in hell I’m going to become anyone’s prisoner.” The other two subordinate creatures dropped onto the deck.
Jessie angled herself between Jacobi and the creatures, and held out her arms. “I can’t let you take him like that. It’s not fair to him.”
Something huge and serpentine rose out of the ocean, dripping water from its eel-like head. It had a slimy, olive-green hide, black eyes, and gill slits behind its massive jaws. The head loomed high over all of them, its jaws parted slightly, revealing fangs as thick as Jessie’s arms. She and the entire crew backed up.
The lead creature hopped onto the deck, unconcerned with their new company. “Make trade. Safe. Come save sweet Dyne.”
The water serpent drew closer to Jacobi. Jessie ran over and stood in the path of the jaws more than big enough to swallow her whole. It could probably fit four adults in its mouth at once. “Stop!” The serpent halted, as did the creatures. “You are not taking him. This isn’t up for discussion or debate. You are going to take just me to Dyne and help me help him escape.” Rhode had told her to heed their advice, but she couldn’t bring herself to listen. It wouldn’t be right.