Ocean's Echo (The Resolution Universe)

by Everina Maxwell

TO ELEANOR THANK YOU FOR THE JELLYFISH. I LOVE YOU.

“It’s not fair for goats to be in space, sir,” Surit said. “They don’t know which way is up.”

When he reached out to Tennalhin’s mind, casting light on the currents within it, he was expecting something deep and difficult to influence. But he wasn’t prepared for what he plunged into. Tennalhin’s mind was like the sea. Surit nearly lost himself.

“Chaotic space is unpredictable. Sometimes you need a sonic manipulator. Sometimes you need people with pliers.”

A lit fuse didn’t stop being a lit fuse just because it had decided to burn politely.

Part of Tennal was enjoying himself immensely. He hadn’t considered it might be possible to cause more low-level chaos with a rule book than without.

Occasionally Tennal caught himself speculating about whether he still had a chance with Surit. Not when Surit came out of the shower or stripped down to his underwear to sleep—Tennal knew what a set of good abs looked like; he could find those anywhere—but when Surit absently passed him the water jug at breakfast, hair askew on his forehead, listening to whatever Tennal was complaining about, or said, “Tired?” with casual concern when they came back in late—then, Tennal was in unexpected trouble.

Surit hadn’t been able to look away from the controlled chaos then, and he hadn’t realized just how much that was Tennal being discreet.

every time he turned around, there was Tennal—unpredictable and razor-edged, crackling like the end of a live wire.

Surit worked in a universe of fixed possibilities. Tennal was a chaos event. Surit was drawn to it like a gravity well.

Tennal’s face was so close that Surit could feel his breath on his neck, and Surit should probably be feeling uncomfortable. It was alarming—dangerous—that he wasn’t.

Surit knew his own tendencies, which had nothing to do with gender and everything to do with people who were lightning strikes on dead land.

Everything in Surit wanted to say yes, to take what was offered, cup his hands under a firework and try to catch the falling embers.

“Frogs in the water,” Surit said. “Wriggling where you step.” “No,” Tennal said. “I’ll take you,” Surit said recklessly. “You have to exterminate the frogs first,”

He knew the hand helping him up. He knew the crackle of energy in front of him. “Hi,” said Tennal. Tennal, the other half of Surit. Tennal had the temerity to grin—

Surit was struck, confounded, by the immovable way he loved him.

“I meant it,” Tennal said, more quietly. “All of it. I don’t know about you, but I meant it.”