Chapter 4
ASTRYD
Holding tightly to Qurill’s hand, he carefully guides me along the cool tile floor of the palace.
His skin is warm against mine. His scent invades my lungs, tormenting my desire. Keeping the silk sheet tight to my chest with only one hand is a challenge. My bare feet have tangled in the fabric more times than I can count on the short journey we’ve made.
My breath catches once we reach the massive front doors. They are hewn from pale marble. Clam shells with glistening pearls are carved into their fronts. Golden handles rest above them, glimmering in the light. Qurill drops my hand, and I immediately itch for it back.
With a wave of his arm, the massive doors groan and peel back. Beyond the threshold is shimmering water. There seems to be an incandescent layer covering the surface of the water that ripples before my eyes. I turn towards the Prince of the Darksea and find that his gaze is already on mine.
My face warms under his intent stare.
“My magic keeps the sea out, but make no mistake, we are deep underwater.” His eyes stray to my neck. “To keep you safe at these depths, I’ll need to impart some of my magic on you as well.”
Before I can ask what he means, something cool glides along my throat.
Sandalwood fills my nostrils. I gasp as a sharp sting pierces my skin.
My hands raise instinctively to the area.
Instead of finding an injury, I find slick slivers of skin.
They flutter against my fingers, the sensation unsettling and thrilling all at once.
“The gills will be temporary,” Qurill confirms. “They will fully dry up once you return permanently to the surface.”
“Is that what would happen to yours? If you stayed on land for too long?”
Qurill shakes his head.
“My mother is human—my father is of the sea. I am a child born to both worlds. I can exist fully in each without having to forsake my gills or human lungs.”
I nod.
“That’s handy.”
Qurill chuckles softly before pressing his hand to my back. The soft touch of his palm against the silk sends prickles of awareness through my body. He urges me towards the open doors. My eyes widen as I take in the majesty before me.
Schools of colorful fish swim in synchronization, unaware of the small sharks close behind, navigating the water with their pointed noses.
Seaweed floats by while coral and seagrass cover the jagged rocks of the ground below.
The water is bright blue and barely looks real.
Qurill must be awfully powerful to keep all this at bay.
As if in a trance, I lift my hand.
My finger pierces through the incandescent layer separating the palace from the sea.
The water is cool and molds around my hand.
I gasp as I pull my hand back, watching droplets of salt water fall to the tiles at my feet.
I look up at Qurill, who’s watching me carefully, amusement dancing in his gaze.
My lips suddenly feel dry, and I snake my tongue out to lick them. Heat kindles in Qurill’s gaze as he takes a step closer to me. Our bodies are nearly flush. My pulse pounds in response to his nearness.
“I thought we could explore some of my favorite coves. Swim with the fish and discover hidden places no human has ever seen before.”
Qurill’s voice is soft and rough all at once. Slowly, his hand lifts to my cheek, tracing along the smooth curve. My breath catches as his hand slowly lowers. Goosebumps erupt on my flesh as his fingers tease the top of the silk sheet still gripped in my hand.
He leans in. His lips find my ear, and my eyes flutter close.
“You might want to leave this behind,” he whispers. “It’ll tangle in the corral.”
My cheeks warm at his words and his closeness.
Biting my lip, I drop the sheet. Cool air caresses my naked skin.
Qurill hisses beside me. I force my eyes open, refusing to feel shy.
I’ve never been naked around a male before, but Qurill isn’t any male.
I’m giving myself to him today—I’m allowing myself to be reckless and selfish if only for tonight. There is no time to be timid.
I know what I want—I want him to see me. All of me.
Qurill steps back, I can feel his eyes looking over my body as if his stare was a physical caress.
My pink nipples harden under his attention.
I clench my thighs together, grateful we will soon both be wet, and I can hide the state of my arousal.
His hand finds my chin and tips my eyes up towards him.
He is so tall that my head tips all the way back in order for us to lock gazes.
“You are very beautiful, Astryd.”
There’s an edge to his voice. I let his compliment wash over me. To have spent so much of my life hidden, it feels ridiculously decadent to be on display like this. I nod my thanks as he drops his hand. We both turn towards the door at the same time.
“Do we just…dive right in?”
“Yes,” Qurill says. “No time to delay.”
He takes a step forward, and the reality of what we are doing catches up to me. Once again, I can’t seem to stop being a fool. How had I not thought about this sooner?
“Wait.” I grip his arm, turning towards him. “I—I’m not a very strong swimmer.”
He raises a pale brow. “Meaning?”
Color floods my cheeks. “Meaning, I can float. As a means of survival, but swimming…”
I trail off, letting my sentence just linger there.
Qurill’s lips twitch as if he is fighting off a laugh.
He walks behind me, leaning in close until his soft scales tease the skin of my back.
A hardness presses against my backside, and I swallow a moan.
Sweeping the hair off my neck, I feel his mouth at my ear once more.
“Don’t worry, Astryd. I’ll teach you.” His hands trail down my arms before locking around my wrists. “Put your arms out in front of you. Fold your hands over each other and jump forward. I’ll guide you through the next bit.”
With a steadying breath, I do as he says.
I leap forward with my hands extended. Crashing through the air bubble, cool water covers my skin.
My gills flex along my neck, filtering the water so I can suck down lungfuls of air.
I can keep my eyes open, no doubt another perk of his magic.
Bubbles fly from my nose as my hands and feet slap around, trying and failing to tread water.
Large palms fall to my hips, holding me still. I turn, my hair flying around me in a dark gold veil. Qurill is beside me, amusement written in every line of his face.
“Relax,” he says, though the words don’t come from his mouth. They echo through my mind as if he speaks directly into my head.
“Can you hear me?” I ask in my mind.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Magic,” he replies with a wry grin.
I’ll have to be careful to keep my thoughts as innocent as possible. The last thing I need is for him to hear a thought before I’m ready to share it.
“I heard that too,” he replies into my mind.
If the water weren’t so cold, I’d surely be painted in scarlet.
Keeping my mind carefully blank, I allow him to guide me through the water.
Our slick bodies slide together as we part the water.
Qurill frames me, lifting my hand to touch the floating seaweed.
We pass through a school of fish, their colors dazzling up close.
They swim between us, skimming my bare legs as they pass by. Once we are in open water, Qurill releases me, and panic begins to set in.
“Remain calm, Astryd. Panicking is the worst thing you can do.”
He floats beside me, indicating I should mimic his body. Once I am certain I’m not going to float away, he kicks his feet slowly below him. I follow his movements. He begins pumping his arms, and I do the same. It’s not long before I’m treading water with more success than I previously had.
“Very good, Astryd.” His praise washes over me as I continue to tread water. “Now, turn to your side and repeat the motions. I’ll be right beside you.”
I do as he says, relishing in how easy it is to follow his commands.
Floating onto my side, I kick my feet and move my arms in a similar fashion.
I’m sailing through the water in no time.
I spin and dive deeper. My hands trail over the bumpy texture of the coral and weave through the long strands of the seagrass.
Pushing off from the jagged edge, I swim up from the floor and return to Qurill.
“You’re a natural.”
I smile at his words, floating near him and hooking my hand around his.
“I have a good teacher.”
We carry on through the water together. Hours must pass as we explore hidden underwater coves, illuminated by glowing algae.
Qurill takes me deeper into the sea, showing me a large shipwrecked vessel, broken along the seafloor.
Inside, we pilfer through the treasure eaten away by the marine life.
Qurill guides me from the ship and allows us to be swallowed up by a large school of fish.
They wrap us in a cocoon of shimmering bodies.
Qurill and I press close, my nipples digging into his chest. His hands fall to my waist, holding me tightly to him.
We stare up at each other. Our mouths are close enough to touch.
My heart pounds against my ribs as his hands trail lower.
He stares at me, his blue eyes begging for permission. I give it with a slight nod.
His fingers press into the globes of my ass.
My head falls forward against his chest. This is reckless, and even if I had vowed to myself to let it happen, there is still a voice telling me to stop.
Even knowing that we will part tomorrow, and as much as I will treasure this time together, taking this next step will make it harder to walk away from him.
Yet, I must. He’s given me no promises of forever—not that I’ve given him any indication that I would like such a vow.