Free Avenging (The Rising Series Book 3) by Holly Kelly Page A

he couldn’t ignore the call of an injured child. Triton’s eyes shot open. He raced out of his room and nearly plowed Nicole over.
    “Oh, wow. You’re in a hurry,” she said.
    “I have to go. A Dagonian child needs my help.”
    “I thought you didn’t like Dagonians.”
    He frowned at her. “It’s a child. I’m not completely heartless.”
    “I’m sorry. I know you’re not. Let’s go.”
    “What? No. I’m going—you’re staying.”
    “Why? Is this child being attacked by an army?”
    He shook his head.
    “A sea monster?”
    “No, he’s trapped in a cave.”
    “Well, then there’s no danger to me. I’m coming with you. Maybe I can help.”
    He pressed his lips together in a line. “Fine.” Wrapping his arms around her, he flashed them across the world. In a moment, he found himself in the center of a hundred Dagonians. He heard Nicole gasp as she tightened her grip on him. The crowd fell silent—shock written on their faces. But one female didn’t seem to notice his dramatic entrance. Either that, or she didn’t care. She was pulling rocks from a pile of stones at the entrance of a cave, sobbing as she went.
    Triton turned to Nicole.
    “Go,” she said before he could speak.
    He let go of her. Swimming up to the woman, he could feel desperation emanating from her in waves. Triton knew at once that her son was trapped in the rubble. She was beyond terrified. Her desperation so great that she was on the verge of panic.
    “Iris,” Triton said, softly. She didn’t respond, just kept up her digging. The water tinted red around her. Her fingers bled as she clawed at the jagged rocks.
    He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Iris, I’ll save your child.”
    She slapped his hand off. “My baby’s buried! I have to get him out!”
    He didn’t have much time. The child continued calling out for help—but his voice was fading. He needed help now, but Triton couldn’t do what he needed to do with the mother in the way.
    Triton pulled the woman away from the rubble as she struggled. “No!” she shrieked. “He’s still alive. I have to get him out!” He held her against his chest as she fought him, desperate to get to her son.
    Triton turned back to the crowd. “Who is her husband?”
    An older Dagonian frowned in disgust and said, “She has no husband. If she did, I’m sure he’d have prevented this whole mess. I tried—” His voice cut off as his hands slapped against his throat.
    The Dagonian had said enough.
    The woman in Triton’s arms stopped fighting him and sobbed. Triton didn’t want to leave her with any of these men who obviously disliked her, but he must get to the child.
    He felt a hand pressed against his arm and turned to see Nicole’s stricken face. “I’ll take her,” she said.
    Triton shook his head. “If she fights you—”
    “I can handle it, Ty.”
    Frowning, not wanting to put her in danger, but feeling more and more desperate to free the child, he nodded. He passed the distraught woman to Nicole, who took her in her arms.
    “It’s okay, sweetheart. He’ll save him.”
    Triton warmed at her words. The woman couldn’t understand a word of what Nicole was saying, but her tone was comforting and filled with understanding. He drew some of his power from the seawater and touched Nicole’s mind, giving her the ability to speak Atlantian.
    He turned his attention back to the situation at hand. Closing his eyes, he carefully directed the water currents through the rocks, pushing them apart, cradling them in the seawater as he gently moved them away. He sought out the child and found that the boy wasn’t far. He could feel what the child felt. A heavy stone pressed against his chest, making it difficult for the boy to breathe. And then there was another heavier stone, crushing his broken fin flat against the seafloor. Triton swam inside the cave. As he lifted several more stones away, he finally found the boy, who looked to be about eight years old. “It’s