Deeper Than the Ocean PP 1 by Dee Carney Read Free Book Online Page B

glanced over his shoulder at the sun that had long since risen above the horizon.
    Soon enough, people would be wandering the beach and just as she'd stated, someone would see. He had to convince her to hand over the key quickly. "He murdered my mother for having me. And I'm the only one who cares enough to avenge her, Di. He's a very powerful being and where he lives is inaccessible normally. But with that key…"
    "Is he powerful enough to kill you, instead?"
    He should have known she would ask. "Yes. Perhaps if I'm not fast enough, not smart enough, he'll destroy me long before I get the chance to kill him."
    "Danyl," she gasped, "you sound like you accept that." She shook her head. "No, like you want that."
    "I have to leave before someone sees, Di."
    "Danyl?"
    "The sun is up and people will be coming soon."
    She pushed away and bore into him with her piercing gaze. "Even if I could forget about my situation, I am not going to stand here and hand you the key to your death. I won't."
    Her green eyes brimmed with concern. For him . That recognition was enough to make him stop breathing from stunned joy. Gods, could he really dare to dream, to hope, that the life he once dreaded living might instead forever include her? Because if it did, an early death no longer called to him as it once did.
    "What if I gave you a promise, a guarantee, would that satisfy you? If I could borrow the coin, as you call it, from you and then give it back to you when I'm done, we would both get what we want." Once he handed over the key, he wouldn't be able to give her back this one, but others like it had to exist. He'd make sure he led her to them. That assumed, of course, he made it out alive. He couldn't be certain of course, but he'd do his damnedest to try. It would have to be enough.
    She regarded him suspiciously, her head cocked. "You wouldn't take any unnecessary risks? You would … wait, how can you guarantee me something like that?"
    There was no way she would make this easy. He recognized that now. "It's all I have to offer. My word."
    "Which doesn't matter if you're dead, you idiot!"
    Another impasse. Did other men have such a hard time reasoning with their mate?
    The thought startled him. Mate? When had Di gone from being that beautiful human to mate ?
    Di planted her feet into the ground and balanced her fists on either side of her hips.
    Looking him dead center in his eyes, she said, "If you want this key, Danyl, the only way you'll get it is if you have someone to watch your back going with you. And that someone, baby, is gonna be me."

Chapter Seven
    Nothing he said would sway her. Even now, she stood balancing on one leg as she slipped the other into the wetsuit. How in Hades had it gotten to this point? Danyl wanted to scream with frustration. Instead, he paced the beach, cursing under his breath.
    Gods, it would take everything he had to keep her safe when he sought Ancelin, but the infuriating woman barged right into the danger with her eyes wide open. Whether he liked it or not, he would have to make sure he survived this trip. Her life depended on it.
    "I'm ready."
    His curt nod was all the response he could muster without starting an argument all over again. Why would she do this?
    For heavens' sake, look at the preparations she had to go through. He hated that she needed to outfit herself thusly, but the morning sun wouldn't have warmed the ocean enough yet. Then again, her preparations also meant one less thing they had to worry about in their travels. He'd already explained that the underwater cave, the passageway to the underworld, sloped up until they would be able to walk above ground with ease.
    Closer to the top, the water would be tolerable for her to swim in, if not altogether pleasant. He only had to guide them there and then the hard part would begin.
    She started forward, but stopped when she reached the water's edge and he wasn't beside her. "Danyl?"
    He had one last chance to stop this madness. Danyl raced