Free Torrents (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 3) by Meaghan Rauscher Page A

against the wall of an antique store. His head swept back and forth, scanning the people milling about on the sidewalks as though searching for something. Or someone.
         Voon made straight for the figure and I tried not to grow worried until the lean body pushed away from the wall and walked toward us. The long, sloping gait was immediately familiar to me and the left over doubt I had about Voon disappeared.
         “Daggin,” I said and felt the desire to run forward and hug him in relief. I restrained when I saw his searching eyes. He stepped into motion with us and I was surprised when we began to walk down streets cutting across the town and moving toward the harbor, rather than the ocean.
         “They’re definitely here,” Daggin said, his deep voice always surprising me. The words weren’t directed toward me. I knew the Hyven would be here, they were here last night.
         Voon grunted, giving the only indication he had heard Daggin speak at all. His rough fingers grasped my hand again and with a gentle tug I found my feet following him at a run. We jogged together, across roads and around people, until we reached less crowded streets. The old movie theater loomed up ahead and without stopping the Lathmorian soldiers ran forward and past the poorly lit cinema. Darkness was beginning to spread over Coveside, a dull gray which only seemed pale due to the loss of golden tint the sky had held moments ago.
         Our feet passed over the rock scattered pavement and onto the sand leading down to the harbor waters. I was vividly aware of the ground we were covering. The last time I had been standing on this beach, I had nearly met death, and to see its shores again only brought the memory back to the forefront of my mind.
         Off to the left, I heard a shout and turned my head, there was a group of teens gathering a long ways down the beach and it took a moment for me to realize just who they were. Some were the same from the night before, their bodies pushing and cajoling one another as they walked along the shore. I could only hope they wouldn’t spot us as we ran directly for the water. Once again, the roar from last night replayed through my mind.
         A voice called out to someone who had yelled in greeting. I caught a glimpse of Jonathan, his lanky body standing beside Trey, their heads turned in the direction of two girls walking their way. Off to the side stood Daron in a different Hawaiian shirt.
         I saw it all as if from a different body and somewhere in my mind I realized this might be the last time I saw them. I had been a part of them last night, but now I was running down the sandy length of the beach and into the water, calling to me stronger than a siren’s voice.
         Suppressing the urge to smile at the thought of the ocean being my siren, I dove into the oncoming waves transforming in midair and strapping the black pants inside the pack around my stomach. The tight, black shirt stretched across my body and the contrast to the shimmering lavender of my tail was breathtaking. 
         Daggin shot ahead into the surf with a speed my eyes could hardly keep up with, the pale green of his fins faded into the murky waters, as Voon and I moved at a quick, but slower speed. Through the water came a loud thump and chilling silence, again the sound filtered through the water and reached my ears making the silence almost deafening. The words Daggin had spoken earlier, only now reentered my mind, and I realized what lay ahead of us.
         A knot of fear wove its way into my gut and I was surprised to find the innate desire to move closer to Voon in the darkness, but it was one I fought. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how I felt.
         Clear for now , Daggin’s call came to us in the merlanguage from somewhere in the darkness. Only now did I realize the language wasn’t very different from what I could do with my own voice on