Midnight Star (Star Touched: Fae Bound #3)

8. Zoey

Zoey

An hour later, I’m at the small pond in the back of the palace—right behind the outside walls of the human wing—with Jake, for my daily swim lesson.

Aethelthryth, of course, stands off to the side, watching us. Jake’s night fae handler stands next to her.

Both of their wings are out.

There’s no such thing as free rein for humans when we’re not locked inside our cage.

“Let’s try floating again,” Jake says, standing waist-deep in the pond. “Try to relax this time.”

Easy for him to say. He’s not the one sitting at the edge of the pond, feet dangling in the cold water, trying to summon the courage to push off. Not to mention the fact that fae don’t have bathing suits—I’m stuck with a loose, ankle-length, full-sleeve chemise-type thing instead .

If it weren’t for Jake’s wandering eyes, I’d probably rip the thing off and swim naked.

“You won’t let me sink?” I ask him, even though we’ve been through this a dozen times already.

“Never.” He holds out his hands, ready to support me. “Trust me.”

I do trust him. That’s not the problem. Jake’s genuinely sweet, and I know he wants to help. It’s just...

“Remember to keep your back straight and…” He moves toward me, but when he takes my hand, it’s not to help me into the water. It’s to run his thumb in circles over my palm and gaze longingly into my eyes. “You look really pretty today.”

Yeah. There’s the problem.

“Jake,” I say gently. “Focus?”

“Right, sorry.” He shakes his head, his cheeks reddening. “Back straight, arms out, like we practiced on land. Sound good?”

I glance at Aethelthryth—since she’s the one who advised we practice on land—and she gives me an encouraging nod.

Then I slide into the water, trying to ignore how my heart races as I do.

Jake’s hands are there immediately, one supporting my back, the other ready to catch me if I panic.

“Good,” he says, watching me closely. “Now, lean back slowly. ”

I try to follow his instructions, but the moment my feet leave the bottom and my back touches the surface, memories of almost drowning in that frozen lake flash through my mind. The crack of ice, the shocking cold, the helpless feeling of sinking...

“You’re okay,” Jake murmurs, but he’s closer than he needs to be, staring at my face instead of watching my form.

I push away, relief flooding me as I find solid footing.

Aethelthryth shifts at the edge of the pond, and I swear I see her roll her eyes.

“Maybe we should try something else,” I say to Jake, as I continue to steady myself. “Something upright?”

Jake waggles his eyebrows, and now I roll my eyes—along with Aethelthryth. Even Jake’s handler is trying to suppress a smile.

“Something upright as in treading water,” I clarify, even though I’m starting to regret asking him to teach me how to swim in the first place.

Maybe I can get Sophia to teach me instead? Or Isla?

It would crush Jake, and he’s sweet enough that I don’t want to hurt him, but I’m slowly reaching my breaking point.

“Treading water,” Jake repeats, shooting me a sheepish grin. “So, you just kind of move your arms and legs. Like you’re bicycling with your feet and scooping water with your hands. ”

“I know what treading water is,” I say, and he flinches back, as if the words physically hurt him.

“I’m sorry,” I say quickly. “I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just frustrated.”

“Because swimming’s the only thing in the world you aren’t good at?” He smiles, and while I know he’s going for light and playful, it feels more insulting than anything else.

“I’ll be good at it. I just have to learn,” I say, and in an act of defiance, I push off from the shallow end into where it gets deeper… and realize my mistake a second later.

I’m floundering.

Sinking.

No matter how hard I try to move, the water refuses to hold me.

My breaths come fast and shallow. The edges of my vision blur as my head dips under. The water’s entering my eyes, and my nose, and I kick harder, flailing my arms in desperate, uncoordinated movements that only pull me down deeper.

Jake’s there in an instant, his hands gripping my arms. “I’ve got you,” he says, helping me up and out to the shallower end. “You’re okay. Just breathe. You’re safe.”

“I’m fine,” I manage to say, even though the air’s burning my lungs, and my legs feel like jelly .

“You just sank like a rock.”

“I know.” I shake him off and regain my footing, the water now lapping somewhat safely at my shoulders. “I noticed.”

“A very sexy rock?” He says it like a question, as if the comment will earn back my affection.

“Rocks can’t be sexy.” I huff, and he backs off, holding his hands up in surrender.

“Hey,” he says, although he thankfully keeps his distance this time. “I’m just trying to help.”

I close my eyes for a moment and press my fingers to the bridge of my nose, steadying my breathing. “I know,” I say when I’m ready, opening my eyes again and meeting his gaze. “I just don’t understand why this is so hard.”

“It’s hard because you’re making it hard,” Aethelthryth calls from across the way. “You’re overthinking everything and flailing around like a fish caught in a net. Relax.”

“Easy to say when you have water magic,” I mutter, which makes Jake chuckle.

“Maybe try again?” he suggests. “I can hold you while?—”

“I think I’ve had enough for the day,” I cut him off, pushing through the water to get back onto dry land.

The solidness below my feet is absolute heaven .

A second later, Aethelthryth is next to me, placing her hand on my shoulder and using her magic to dry me off.

“Let’s get you changed for lunch,” she says after the last drop of water is gone. “Maybe you’ll have better luck tomorrow.”

“Maybe.” I shrug, since as much as I hate it, this is starting to feel beyond hopeless. Swimming might just not be in the cards for me.

“See you later?” Jake asks, suddenly beside me. His eyes are searching mine, asking for confirmation.

No, more like begging for it.

Princess Cierra always has him go to her quarters for lunch—so she can have him for lunch—which means this is where we part ways.

It’s a relief, since after every lesson, I need a break. At first, I thought I needed the break from swimming, but I’m gradually realizing that I need the break from him.

“Sounds good,” I say, and then I’m following Aethelthryth back to the human wing, relieved to leave Jake behind before he tried to kiss me.

“If you’re not into him, you’ll do him a favor if you let him down now,” she says once we’re out of Jake and his handler’s earshot. “He has a habit of getting attached.”

I glance at her, frowning. “What do you mean?”

“Jake’s harmless, but he’s also persistent,” she says, her wings shifting as she studies me. “If you don’t set boundaries now, you’ll be stuck dealing with him until someone else catches his eye.”

I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “It’s not that simple.”

“Why not?”

“Because…” I pause to think about it.

It’s an excellent question.

“He was one of the first people to be nice to me around here,” I finally say. “I don’t want to hurt him.”

I also need him on my side—the side of the humans who aren’t just going to lay down and accept our fates as pets to be enjoyed before they’re sent to the slaughterhouse. Also known as the barns.

We haven’t done anything to turn things around other than start carving pieces for a chess board together, but at least we’re preparing to play the game.

“It never is,” Aethelthryth says as we approach the doors to the human wing. “But it’s better to deal with it now than to let it fester. Trust me.”

With that, she opens the doors, and leaves me to continue from there.