Chapter Twenty
Dulce
Enjoy the Silence – Depeche Mode
Unsurprising to me, Raevar is kind. He somehow finds us food easily, carries me when my feet hurt, and has introduced me to several random people by name.
Not sure how their world works, but we don’t know every Cupid in Amantes and we definitely don’t know every person in the human realm. The way warmth encases my heart at his acknowledgement of each person has me wanting to cuddle into his chest and tell him he’s amazing.
Now, we’re sitting at a lake. Not unsimilar to my favorite one in Amantes, and Raevar removes his shirt, almost in slow motion, before reaching for his pants.
“W-What are you doing?” I’m far too shocked at him undressing to really grasp that he’s nearly naked.
His eyes meet mine, almost teasingly. “It’s been days, sweetness. Need to refresh.”
“Naked?” I squeak, covering my eyes as he unbuttons his trousers. Peeking through two fingers, he chuckles at me.
“I find it’s freeing to be naked. Wouldn’t you agree?”
There’s a teasing lilt to his voice, as if he knows how I swim in the lake naked. There’s no way he’s aware of that, is there? I hear a splash before I open my eyes.
“Yes, I’m hidden,” he taunts. “Join me!”
I can’t help the giggle that leaves me at his carefree tone. I shouldn’t feel so happy to be with a stranger when Vex is more than likely worried sick about me. But they would want me to be happy. That’s the whole point of this summer, right? What else do I do? Ignore him?
“Close your eyes first!”
He does, his eyes shutting entirely to the point of scrunching as I near the water. He’s floating somehow, but I don’t see his limbs moving at all. Maybe he’s magically a buoy or something.
While he keeps his eyes closed, I remove the shirt I’ve been carting around since he offered it to me and then strip out of the school outfit. Of course, underneath, I’m wearing a bright red see-through lace outfit. Even though I’m used to swimming naked in the lake near my home, this is a whole new territory.
Literally.
“You going to stand there all day, sweetness?”
I scoff but stick out my tongue, and even though he can’t see me, he chuckles.
Dipping my toe into the water, I make sure it isn’t cold, and when warmth meets me, I’m both shocked and intrigued. Even the lake at home is chilly, not freezing all year, but sometimes it’s too cold for comfort.
“You fully in yet?” Raevar once again teases. I don’t respond, wanting to make sure he doesn’t take a peek before I’m fully emerged in the water.
“Covered as much as you can be with water this clear,” I grumble, not truly meaning it. It’s warm and welcoming, almost like a hug.
His eyes open and he swims over to me. Not once does he try to see beneath the water, and I can’t tell if I’m slightly disappointed or really happy he isn’t overly sexualizing this moment.
“How do you like it?”
“Not as nice as my favorite lake, but it’ll do.”
He hums, swimming around me, and I can’t help but smile at his playfulness. Instead of touching me, he waits for me to make any movement, watching me as I twirl with him.
I’m suddenly hit with the urge to splash him, so I do. I make a wave with my hands, hitting him square in the face. His mouth drops open, the adorable expression making me do it once more.
“Oh, you’re going to get it now,” he promises, reaching for me. His arms capture mine, squeezing and twirling us.
At this point, I’m a fit of giggles. “Stop! You’re going to make me dizzy!” I grumble with laughter. It’s so fun to see how free he’s being.
I don’t know Raevar much, but he feels like a soldier, someone who’s forced to be whatever everyone wants for him. A selfish part of me wants to keep him, introduce him to Vex, and see if they’ll keep him too.
He stops spinning me, our eyes caught in their own kind of current. “You’re beautiful,” he repeats what he said to me earlier, when he spoke in our shared language.
“Think you’re confused there, big guy.”
As soon as the words are out, I regret them. His gaze is not only narrowed at me in a chastising way, he looks almost offended.
“If I could rip out my eyes and give you my vision for a single moment, I would.”
“That’s a little intense.” I gasp, seeing how serious he is. My body burns where his skin and mine connects, almost as if we’re tethered. It feels like the bond I share with Vex, but different. That’s what doesn’t make sense. I’ve only met him. How could we possibly have a connection?
Before I can say anything else, something wraps around my ankle, tugging me beneath the water. Screams don’t get to escape my lips as a result of shock flooding my veins and sending me into a panic.
As surprised as I am, Raevar isn’t prepared and roars as my vision disappears under the water. It’s dark under here, and I’m grateful for not being human. The pressure in my ears is fast approaching and I lift my jaw, hoping I don’t have any damaging results from this.
For years, I’ve practiced free diving, forcing my lungs to learn how to not breathe for long periods. It works—I can sit at the bottom of Crystal Lake for about thirteen minutes now.
I blink as darkness overtakes my entire vision. It’s too dark down here for any light to shine through. If not for my love of the water, it’d be way more terrifying. It doesn’t burn like I expect it to, but instead it wraps me in a warm blanket-like feeling, and that thought alone should scare me.
My chest aches as I continue to hold my breath. It doesn’t feel like much time has passed, but my body can’t tell me. Attempting to calm my panic, I mentally meditate, slowing my heart rate as much as possible.
I’ve done this before.
Not this quickly or this deep, but I’ll survive.
Hopefully.
Hades. I swear the Fates don’t want me to finish my summer “fuck it” list. First, I’m torn away from my performance at Vex’s, then I’m swimming naked, dragged down before we get rain.
I’m doomed.
As my body shakes, light fills my vision. It’s blinding, a vibrant chartreuse shade. I blink to hopefully clear my vision, not realizing it’s not my brain shutting off. The light grows brighter as it moves closer to me, more zoomed in. It’s getting larger and the rapid way it floods my veins warms me.
The feeling overwhelming me is like a hug—a connection.
It too reminds me of the bond with Vex. It’s so comforting. They feel like home somehow and that’s a feeling I’ve always chased.
My body slowly shuts down, the energy leaving me as I force myself not to gasp for the oxygen I desperately need.
Forcing my eyes open once more, I’m met with massive green eyes. They’re eerie, like glow sticks, piercing me with a dissecting stare.
Nothing but tranquility fuels me as our gazes lock. I reach forward, tentative but purposeful. Leaving my hand floating in the space in front of me, I wait as it comes nearer.
Their nostrils flare with purpose, then they close the distance between us. As soon as my hand touches their scales, I’m encased in emotions.
Curiosity, fear, concern, fury.
The last one has me rubbing at my bare chest, wanting to soothe whatever gives that ache to us both. That tightness in my body comes back and black spots my vision. As if noticing, something pulls me upward, lifting me up.
Before I can make sense of it, everything darkens.