CHAPTER NINE #2
“Don’t you need to cool off, Maila?” Nya asked. Her brown eyes were sparkling, and I had to resist the urge to roll my own as I remembered her request from earlier.
Anxious to get whatever this was over with, I yanked off my shirt and shorts in the least artful way possible and tossed them in the sand.
I had never worn so little clothing in public before, but I braced my shoulders and hoped beyond hope that my posture made me look more relaxed than I actually felt.
Nya fluttered her lashes at Kieran, waiting for him to turn around.
When he did, I got to witness firsthand what I must have looked like when I saw him a few moments before. He stilled, and his eyes widened almost imperceptibly as they skimmed down my body.
What he was seeing was Nya’s violet bikini bottoms, which had a ruffle across the top that accentuated how low they hung on my hips.
And the matching violet bikini top, thin straps resting on my shoulders and wrapping around my rib cage to clasp at the back, with pads that were also trimmed in ruffles.
And barely contained my breasts.
Kieran’s eyes lingered there for a fraction of a second. Then he was shoving his hands in the pockets of his trunks and flashing his signature smirk. “Look at you!” he said brightly. “If only your Enforcer friend could see you now.”
Nya was biting her lip, holding back laughter.
While everyone else busied themselves with preparations for the confrontation ahead, I continued to take in the view, watching the bright turquoise of the water dissipate into white foam at the sand.
Before I even realized what I was doing, I was standing right in front of it.
When the water drifted upward again and caressed my toes, I smiled.
The crisp coolness of it felt incredible against my hot skin.
For the briefest of moments, I felt something that I think was peace.
There was no past, with memories that wouldn’t leave me alone.
There was no present, with confusing feelings about Kieran.
There was no future, where maybe these people I was becoming so attached to didn’t survive the next few hours. Where maybe I didn’t survive, if Cato or Brielle or literally anyone else figured out the truth of where I was. What I had done.
There was just me and the ocean.
“Wow!” Cecil exclaimed, absently stroking his beard. “You must have been just minutes away from melting.”
“I’m glad you can see the humor in it,” I said dryly, sipping from my water bottle.
The sun was low in the sky and a slight chill was forming in the air, but my skin was practically pulsing with heat. I stretched my legs out in the sand in the shadow of the canopy. I could swear that I was watching my skin get pinker with each passing moment.
“I really am sorry, Maila,” Nya said from where she stood beside Cecil, a hand on her hip. “We’re all so used to being out in the sun every day, we didn’t even think about how it would affect you.”
“It’s okay, I should’ve known better.”
It was true. I’d read plenty on sunburns. I’d even watched Zander cope with one several years ago, after his first day patrolling the city streets from sunrise to sunset. But I guess it was one thing to have knowledge, another to actually put it to use.
Kieran passed by us with an armful of spears. He was distributing weapons to the group.
And he was still shirtless. The muscles of his back rippled as he wore a path in the sand between the pile of weapons and the waiting semi-circle of Strangers.
“Why doesn’t Kieran burn?” I lamented. “He’s almost as pale as I am.”
Nya snorted. “Kieran’s only half human, remember? Who knows what kind of crazy sun-resistant genetics are floating around in there.”
After a moment, she and Cecil stepped out from under the canopy and took up spots with the rest of the group.
“That must hurt,” a voice behind me exclaimed.
I turned to see Xiomara stepping around me to grab a hunk of jerky from one of the supply bags. The steady misting of saltwater on the breeze had turned her already-curly hair into a voluminous mass.
A force to be reckoned with. Which I had a feeling was not so different from the rest of her.
“It’s going to hurt a lot worse later,” I sighed. I poked my arm and watched the white imprint of my fingertip fade back to pink.
“True,” she agreed with a wince.
I racked my brain, trying to think of something I could say. Literally anything at all. Where was Brielle when you needed her?
Right, she was back in Cyllene. Not being a liar and a traitor to her entire city.
Xiomara stepped closer, snapping me out of my thoughts.
She crouched down so we were at eye level with one another, hugging her bronzed knees against her chest. “Look, I don’t want there to be any tension between us,” she began.
“I’m sure you know about my history with Kieran, but I just want you to know I’m cool with whatever’s going on between the two of you. ”
I could feel the surprise register on my face. “That’s kind of a relief to hear,” I said. “I feel like we got off on the wrong foot somehow? Even though there’s nothing going on between me and Kieran.”
It was the truth, wasn’t it? Sure, he liked to mess with me. We flirted with each other, and Nya cracked jokes about how one or both of us were grossing her out. But it was harmless.
Granted, I was pretty sure I didn’t want it to be harmless anymore. But she didn’t need to know that.
“Right,” Xiomara drawled, her voice somewhere between true agreement and sarcasm.
“Well, I just thought you should know I’m used to this sort of thing.
It’s part of the package with Kieran. Maybe even like a rite of passage, you know?
” Here she laughed, a throaty sound that even I had to admit was sexy.
“He’s always moving from one woman to the next, so you can’t get too attached. ”
A knot formed in my stomach.
“I mean, I remember when we first started sleeping together.” She shrugged her shoulders and bared her teeth in a mock cringe.
“There were a lot of women back at camp who had a tough time with it. But Kieran and I have known each other forever. He and Cecil are very close. So it was just natural that our friendship would turn into something more.” She leaned in again, adding conspiratorially, “I remember the girl he was with before me tried to confront me one night at camp, and it was so uncomfortable. I told her, look, you just can’t beat a history like ours, you know? Friends turned lovers?”
I forced my face to remain impassive.
She stood then. She was already on the taller side, like Nya, but in this moment, she somehow seemed even taller.
“You might get confronted while you’re at camp, too,” she warned.
“But just let it roll off your back. The thing is, Kieran gets bored quickly, but he’s also worth the trouble.
I mean, look at him. Right? And he’s a great lay. ”
I swallowed. Xiomara’s blows were landing just the way she wanted, and we both knew it. I wanted to say something back, but I wasn’t used to this. This verbal sparring. Cutting someone down with a smile plastered on my face.
“If you decide to take it to the next level with him while you’re here, just let me know. I might be willing to share a few secrets on what really gets him going.” She sighed wistfully, as if reflecting on fond memories. “And remember what I said. Don’t get too attached, and enjoy the ride.”
With a wink and a wave, she sauntered out to join the rest of the group.
It was time.
Shimmering gold filtered through the trees behind us, while the sky above the ocean was a muted blue. Soon, the sun would meet the horizon.
But not before the Strangers confronted the Leviathan.
When we had first arrived at the beach, Cecil had promised the group a second run-through of the plan.
But he covered it a third and even a fourth time before everyone readied themselves and moved into position.
And he did it all in front of me, which I guess was to be expected.
But it was nice, being included. Being treated as someone they could trust.
The Strangers waded out until the water was chest-deep, forming a line that ran parallel to the beach. All of them were standing tall, shoulders braced.
What would they have done if the water was rough today? If the waves were crashing against them, threatening to knock them off their feet?
As soon as the question formed in mind, I already knew the answer. They would have done the same thing they were doing now. Because they didn’t have a choice.
Just like with the marsh wolves and the cave devils, there was a goal for this venture beyond just capturing or outsmarting a terrifying beast.
The marsh wolves had provided the Strangers with pelts that were not only waterproof, but that were imbued with magic that gave them enhanced strength, speed, and endurance while swimming. Each member of the group had donned one of the slick, gray-brown, wet suit-like outfits.
The cave devils had, of course, provided the Strangers with an abundance of weapons. It was decided that spears were the best fit for this particular quest, but Nya mentioned that there were a variety of other weapons back at camp.
Then there was the Leviathan. Once defeated, its enormous scales—each one was nearly as tall as Cecil—would act as shields. Whether it was during a conflict with a predator, arranged in a wall formation around the camp, or something else, the uses for the impenetrable barriers were endless.
That is, if the Strangers made it out of this alive.