Rhodoreef

19. The Fiery Flame

"What do you mean I can't go?" Dea demanded.

"It means you can't." He shut the sliding door on the way to the kitchen area, and a winking light drew her attention to a small, digital panel on the wall.

"I don't think you understand." She took a deep breath while a tornado gained momentum inside. "First of all, I don't need your permission to do what I want. Second, no way I'm gonna miss this opportunity. I can feel it in my bones—this is going to herald a whole new era for Calliathron. A better future with friendly ties between the land and sea. Don't you see how important this is?"

He shut the dishwasher with a bang and made no response.

"Of course, you wouldn't see." Dea crossed her arms. "Maybe for you, we're just a fun research project. Or whatever it is you get out of this."

He turned to her, his expression as unfathomable as the brine lake. "Can't you just be happy that you had your adventure and go home?"

"Did what I just tell you swim over your head?" She goggled at him in disbelief. "Do you think I'm some fangirl who came here to get Dilip's autograph and go my merry way?"

Anuk leaned against the kitchen island and folded his arms. The atmosphere almost crackled with tension as they stared each other down.

"Dilip is...so nice," she murmured, her tone pensive. "He's hardworking and takes time to make homeless kids happy—and I know that our partnership will go a long way."

He scoffed.

"What's wrong with you!" Dea's temper flared up, and her fists balled against the sofa cushions. "And I like him. I definitely do."

"You met him for what—five minutes?"

"He obviously wants to get to know me, which is why he invited me to his place!"

"You need to go home. I'll drive you to your sub in the morning." He wiped his hands with a napkin and bunched it up with an air of finality. "Prime spot you've chosen to anchor it."

"Oh, you placed a tracker on the Angler too?" Her mounting anger simmered just under the surface. "Well, here's a newsflash—you can track the crap out of me, but you can't control me. I'm going to Dilip's place."

"No, you're not."

"Uhuh." She amped up her withering glare. "What are you gonna do to stop me?"

"Whatever I have to." His clenched jaw suggested that he meant what he said.

Despite her own stubborn stance, Dea's brain whirred. If he was indeed hell-bent on stopping her, he would most likely do so. All he had to do was lock her up in a room. Unless I...

"You know what, I'm really tired, and my butt is still aching—though chilling in that tub eased it somewhat. And I'm not in the mood to party. I mean, I don't even have a good outfit." Dea let out a dramatic sigh. "But...this isn't over. I'm coming back to meet him again."

"You're gonna run off at the first opportunity you get." He narrowed his eyes to slits. "But I'm telling you now—don't try it. I can sleep with one eye open, even though I'm a human."

She rolled her eyes, though uneasiness made her squirm.

A long minute dragged by, and then he asked, "Your butt's aching?"

"Yeah, a bit." She slumped back against the cushion. "I dunno how I'm gonna sleep."

"I'll arrange a makeshift pod."

Dea flung a glance his way. She wished she could burrow through the forest of black curls that sprouted on his head and drill into the jigsaw of a brain to unravel its workings.