Page 34 of Adonis (Salt and Starlight #1)

After Ben patched up his wounds, Connor was given plain grey clothes to change into. He wasn’t in good shape, and his mind was in an even worse place after hearing what Edith had gone through to give birth to him. Ben left, and Connor heard the lock click into place on the door. Knowing he’d just messed up his chance to use Ben dampened his hopes. He cursed himself for not hiding his disgust. If he’d kept control of his emotions for a little while longer, he could have manoeuvred Ben into showing him around…

Connor wanted to lie down. Shovel enough of those pills into his mouth to blackout into oblivion. Instead, he forced his aching body to explore the room, to look for any way of communicating with others to contact the outside world. There were no windows and no clocks. All he had was equipment and drugs.

Connor dug through the drawers, and he was only a few seconds into his search when he found an entire drawer of scalpels. Connor examined the room, searching the corners for any signs of cameras. This seemed too easy. Way, way too easy.

He picked up the nearest one. Just to test it, he cut the sleeve of his new jumper. It sliced through. Connor let out a heavy breath as he slipped it into the pocket of his jumper. He tucked another into his other pocket and then placed a third one up his sleeve, holding onto it by pinching it between two fingers. The sleeves were long enough to hide it.

It was careless to leave him in here with sharp objects. Wasn’t it? So careless that it seemed like a trap. Maybe they thought he was too injured to search for a weapon? Or, Connor thought, maybe the man running this operation wasn’t the brightest bulb on the block? His mind lingered on Cessair walking the deck, and he thought back to all those interviews Laurence had shown him. Cessair was arrogant, smug, richer than he knew how to manage, and an obvious showman.

They had set Connor up because his blood test showed changes in him, and they wanted him close by to observe him. The set-up had been larger than life and elaborate, where a text from Ben would have brought him back into the area without a thousand eyes turning their attention onto the town.

Ben was a fanatic researcher and often ignored important things in real life. Arthur was the same. Maybe their billionaire boss had that same one-minded obsession? He had certainly seemed unhinged in his interviews. Connor had the impression that Cessair was even less in touch with reality than Ben was.

No, Connor decided. Cessair was no obstacle. The obstacle was Rick with his dogs. The obstacle was finding the switch to open the tank doors.

Connor padded to the door, his heart thumping. He pushed down on the handle. There was a click. The sound he’d mistaken for the door locking when Ben left was just the internal mechanism of the door as it opened and closed. Connor pushed it open, his heart racing. Slowly, he leaned out, looking both ways down the hall before stepping out.

He retraced the way he’d come, finding the stairs that had brought him down. He paused before going up. There had to be a way to open up the top of the tank. There was no other way for them to get Adonis in otherwise, but he hadn’t seen any mechanisms for opening it above deck. And the tank stretched underneath the top deck, going below into the lower layers of the ship.

Connor slipped the scalpel out of his sleeve and into his hand. He turned away from the steps leading up and went down. The stairs swayed beneath his feet, rocking like they’d hit choppy waters. Not that choppy waters made much difference in a ship this size.

The metal grating pricked at Connor’s bare feet as he advanced down the stairs. The walls groaned, and he could hear the engines humming in the distance. As the steps levelled off and he advanced in the tank’s direction, he heard voices. He reached an open door and crouched down as he stepped into a large, open room.

The tank was ahead. Adonis’s tail was visible, though his torso disappeared above deck. The large room he entered was at least two stories tall, and it ran on long, though the width was restricted by the ship’s hull. By the glass, Connor saw Ben.

Connor darted forward, crouching behind a desk. Equipment filled the room, all of it high-tech and gleaming. Connor scoured the equipment, looking for anything that resembled a control station. There were so many different instruments it was impossible to tell.

Connor crept along the desks until he was in the corner of the room, and anyone coming in wouldn’t immediately spot him. He paused, watching Adonis frantically throw his tail against the glass. Bolts jumped, and the glass bent in a way it hadn’t before. Connor stared, and then he took notice of Ben’s pacing—as frantic as Adonis’s movements.

“It’s going to give,”

Ben said in agitation. It took Connor a second to realise he was talking into a radio. “Yes, I realise that, but he’s stronger than the female was and I’m telling you, it’s going to give. The bolts are shaking, and as soon as the glass loses the supporting beams, it—it’s cracking.”

“You go, Adonis,”

Connor whispered, relieved. If Adonis could break out himself, all Connor needed to do was make sure he got out above ground. The force of the water gushing out alone would be enough to carry him into the ocean.

“Okay. I’ll get the tranquillisers,”

Ben said. He whirled on his heels and jogged toward the door Connor had come in. Connor watched where he’d gone and, after a second, followed. He crept up the stairs after him and saw him enter the med bay. Connor sprinted down the hall. He glimpsed Ben at the shelves before he slammed the door closed and yanked the deadbolt into place.

“CONNOR!”

He still had the radio with him, which meant Connor didn’t have long before someone came to let him out. Connor raced back to the stairs. As he reached them, the door leading to the deck creaked open. He darted down the stairs and hid around the first bend. He held his breath, listening as someone came running down the steps. Connor glimpsed Arthur’s back as he ran down the hall. He waited a moment to see if anyone else was coming after him before running, taking the steps two at a time.

He opened the door to find rain sleeting out of the sky and the wind howling. It struck Connor, momentarily blinding him and pushing him back a step. The ship rocked to the side, and ocean spray fell across the deck as a wave broke across the long side of the vessel. The floodlights that had been illuminating the ship and their surroundings earlier now only made a small dent in the sleeting rain.

The fierce bluster of wind died, and Connor stumbled outside, pushing the door shut behind him. He slid the deadbolt into place. He set his back to the door and swept his gaze across the deck. It was far from calm up here. Across the deck, the two guards grappled on the ground, and Austin was ineffectually trying to get the dogs off them. Connor took one step toward them before movement higher up caught his attention. Inside an observatory, Cessair watched the fight, sipping from a glass of wine.

Connor only spared Austin a glance before making for the stairs.

Adonis spotted him. He slammed himself into the glass as Connor skidded past him, his mouth wide as he cried out.

“I’m getting you out, I promise.”

Connor only touched the glass for a brief second before he continued on. He hauled himself up the steep steps to the observatory and readied his scalpel as he burst in.

Cessair yelped in surprise, head snapping toward Connor. He dropped his glass of wine, backing up, only making it a step before Connor had him by the collar and pressed the scalpel against his neck. In his haste, the tip cut a jagged scratch into Cessair’s throat. “Move, and I’ll slice your jugular wide open.”

Fear danced in Cessair’s eyes. He swallowed thickly and raised his hands to the side. “Let’s come to an agreement, shall we? There’s no need for any violence.”

Connor gazed at the control panel underneath the window. “How do I open the cage?”

He demanded.

“Oh, the cage, I don’t—”

Connor shoved the scalpel tip against his throat, widening that cut. “Tell me, or I’ll slice you open and figure it out myself.”

Cessair whimpered. “There.”

He pointed to the panel nearest the door Connor had come in. A separate podium had two arrows on it. One pointing up that said open next to it, and one pointing down, that said closed. Connor stared, barely able to keep himself from laughing. Or sneering. He wasn’t sure which one he wanted to do more.

“You’re dumb as shit,”

Connor hissed. He hauled Cessair, stumbling over his feet, to the door at the back of the observatory. He opened it, finding a neat little bathroom. He pushed Cessair in and closed the door, blocking the handle with a chair. How Austin was scared of this guy was beyond Connor. He was the type that Austin could run circles around at school. All bluster and hot air.

Connor rushed to the panel, wasting not even a second before hitting the button. There was a mechanical hiss, and the metal beams on top of the tank retracted. Connor watched, relief going through him. Adonis noticed immediately and swam to the top.

“NO!”

Connor fell back as Austin surged in through the doorway. He slapped the close button down. He stood above Connor, his chest heaving, water running down his silver hair with shining eyes glinting out between the wet strands. He’d never looked less human.

Connor got to his feet. “Move.”

He lunged for the buttons. Outside, he could see the top closing as quickly as it had opened.

“No!”

Austin shoved against him, desperate. “If they don’t have him, they’ll come after us. We need to go, just us, now.”

Desperation didn’t make Austin any stronger than he’d ever been, and that was a few marks weaker than Connor. Connor seized Austin by the arm, yanking him toward him and tripping him. Austin fell onto the ground, and Connor hit the open button.

Austin scrambled to his feet quicker than Connor expected; he tackled him, smacking the close button as they both went down. They fell through the open doorway. Connor threw out an arm to find something to grab, but his wrist slammed into the step, jarring his fingers to numbness.

Austin cried out in surprise as they hurtled through the open air and down the steps. Connor landed heavily on his stomach and jerked in surprise as his breath left him. A sharp ache radiated through his stomach, and as he moved to get his arms underneath him, weakness cut him down. Connor gasped in pained breaths as intense panic filled him.

He knew what had happened. He could feel what had happened. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. His own damn stupidity happened.

His lungs spasmed when he moved his body enough to see the blunt end of the scalpel sticking out of his abdomen, the pointy end buried deep inside. Forced in to the hilt where Connor had landed on it.

Rain pelted down on Connor, confusing his senses as he saw the first drips of blood, and by the time he’d reached to touch it, a river flowing out of him.

“I-Idiot,”

Connor’s voice trembled. Only an idiot would put a goddamn razor sharp knife in their pocket.

He looked up, heart drowning in disappointment as he saw the top of the tank shutting into place again. Adonis was at the glass, pressing his hands to it, calling out to Connor. Austin shakily got to his knees, a hand to his head. A cut on his forehead bled heavily.

“Come on,”

Austin said blearily. He stumbled as he stood and a heavy wave knocking against the side of the ship took the feet from under him.

Connor turned away. His knees buckled when he tried to stand, but he could crawl toward the stairs.

“Connor,”

Austin growled. He got to his feet, stomping to him, grabbing his jumper by the neck. “We’re going.”

Connor found the strength to shove Austin off him. He fell back against the stairs with a shudder as a fresh wave of weakness rose in him. Black spots danced in his vision, and his senses were dull like the world was far away. He needed to hit the button now.

Austin scrambled back to his feet. He rushed to Connor, dropping to his knees next to him. “Oh fuck, oh fuck, I didn’t mean to—shit, shit, that’s a lot of—Liam!”

Austin roared over his shoulder. He bent over Connor, pressing his hands to his stomach. “You’ll be fine, okay?”

Panic filled Austin’s voice. “We’ll get on the boat, get to shore, and get straight to the hospital.”

“Boat’s ready.”

The taller guard, Liam, said as he came up to them. He crouched next to Austin, casting a quick look over Connor. Behind him, Connor could see Rick lying on deck, his body slack and caught on the barrier that saved him from going overboard with the rolling waves. The dogs were nowhere in sight.

“Let’s go,”

Liam reached for Connor’s arm as Austin grabbed his other side.

“I’m not going.”

Connor found the strength to move. He dug out the scalpel from his pocket, the one that hadn’t ended up inside him, and wielded it threateningly.

“Connor.”

Austin took a step back with Liam. He was desperate, blood trailing down his face, turning his silver hair red. “Please,”

he pleaded. “You need to go to the hospital. Don’t fight. Liam can just knock you out and bring you by force.”

Connor turned his attention to Liam.

Liam wasn’t watching him. He was looking at the rolling waves, and then his gaze moved to Austin. To the gash on his forehead. “It’s a small boat. Three people is pushing it in these conditions,”

Liam said.

Austin cast him a confused look.

Connor saw it coming first. Liam struck out, his fist colliding with Austin’s chest. Austin didn’t have time to block it. He fell, gasping. Liam swooped in, scooping Austin onto his shoulder like he weighed nothing. He didn’t look back as he strode across the decking, heading to their boat, their escape.

Connor’s vision swayed. Adonis’s face caught his eye again, and he blinked at him. Stuck in a tank, in a ship that was clearly unmanned given the waves smashing against the side of them.

The anger that sparked inside of Connor renewed his energy.

“I’m working on it,”

Connor growled. He reached for the railing and pulled himself to his feet. He made his gruelling way up the steps until he was at the door. Reaching inside, he hit the open button and then slid to the ground. He hugged the railing, watching through the rain as the tank’s top started to open again. And this time, it got open.

Adonis swam up, hauling himself out through the gap that opened at the top, and fell out onto the deck.

Relief hounded Connor.

Thank god. Thank god.

Adonis dragged himself along the deck to the bottom of the stairs. Connor watched him, and he summoned up enough energy to go down to him. Because he knew Adonis wouldn’t leave without him.

“Connor,”

Adonis called for him. Over and over as Connor sank his way weakly down the steps. He was in a bad way, and it wasn’t going to get any better. He needed to get Adonis away from the ship while he was conscious. Adonis staying here trying to protect his unconscious body would be the worst thing to happen—he needed to get far, far away.

“Show me your home,”

Connor said as he reached Adonis, falling into his arms, meeting his desperate display of affection with a weak one, only slackly pressing his cheek against Adonis in response to his rub. “Can you bring me there?”

“Yes.”

Connor managed to stay coherent as he stumbled to the edge of the decking. He fell overboard, hitting the black waves without the strength to keep his head above them. Adonis followed right after, his warm arms wrapping around Connor’s body to hold him close.

Connor shut his eyes, giving himself to the sea. To Adonis.