Dark Water: The Red Tide — Ladee C

Now that Masaru knows Bug, the rainbow-eyed love he's been waiting for, is actually the Kintiku, the woman of the prophecy; he's forced to focus on things he's never cared about. He's forced to switch from figuring out how much to tell her, to trying to figure out a way to save her, a task he gives to his Seconds. Against his father's advice, he moves closer to her, and she to him. But, the closer they get to each other, the more dire, more dangerous, the situation becomes, and Bug's first battle with the Chordons only brings them closer. Kayla, the love-struck head nurse, devises a plan to make sure Bug knows exactly why the Kintiku is so important in the most painful way possible; putting Masaru's life on the line, right next to hers. Fortunately, her plan fails, but it forces Masaru and his Seconds to tell their women about their plans, and they come up with a ‘plan' of their own. But, they're not the only ones planning and making deals. Less than one week after their wedding, Masaru finds himself in the Red Tide Room, holding a dagger over Bug's heart. Either by ‘divine intervention' or Pitaca's presence, Bug survives. But, the live-giving God Poseidon has a dark side, and her life is taken out of Masaru's hands, and put squarely in the hands of their enemy's queen. To stave off all-out war between the Octorians and the Chordons, Bug becomes a ‘royal hostage' and is relocated to Azhanté until the tide returns. What should be a time of celebration is now a time of hard decisions, and an even harder test. Although they face complication after complication, brick wall after brick wall, ‘reluctant friends' become allies, and the road they travel seems a little brighter. But, none of that makes a difference. Even if they somehow forged peace between their people, it may not benefit them at all. It's the Red Tide itself that determines her fate, and no one or nothing can influence that. As the return of the tide grows closer, tensions run high. Many secret meetings are held. Many under-the-table deals are made. But, all the planning and deal-making doesn't change the fact that Masaru and his people stand to lose more than Bug, the next Lourdes. Her life may be tied to the Red Tide, but, there's more than one life tied to hers.