Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Despite Theo's personal preferences, the sun rose the next morning, bright and early. He turned over and tugged the edge of the sleeping bag, surprised to find something or someone hogging the other end of it.
It took Theo's sleepy mind a moment or two to come back online and realize it was Lyra, curled up against him and sharing the sleeping bag.
She had spent every other night in the water, and he'd somehow completely forgotten falling asleep together the night before.
He froze, studying the sleeping woman in his arms.
He'd never seen Lyra asleep, looking so peaceful.
In fact, he could count on both hands the number of times he'd seen her truly smile.
A sleeping, serene Lyra was like looking at one of the lost wonders of the ancient world.
Her eyelashes fluttered against her high cheekbones as she dreamed, undoubtedly of diminishing lesser men, her fingers loose and draped across Theo's chest. His heart was racing, and he attempted to will it to slow down, but not much these days was going according to Theo’s will, and this was no exception.
Theo waited as long as he dared, watching the sun rise above the water, the sounds of the forest around them slowly coming to life. They had to be on the road before long, but he put off waking Lyra until the last possible moment.
“Lyra?” Theo asked gently, his voice barely above a whisper, his hand resting on her shoulder. “Lyra, we need to wake up now.”
Lyra grunted and shook her head, tucking her hands under her chin and burying further in the crook of Theo's neck.
Gods help me, he thought, his will tested with every second Lyra spent curling closer and closer to him, the cold, crisp air of a Scottish morning much less appealing than the warm sleeping bag they currently shared.
“Lyra, it's best we get moving,” he prodded again. This time, he earned a small hiss from Lyra.
“Good to know you have weaknesses then,” Theo chuckled, amused by Lyra's grumpy, sleepy expression. “All someone has to do to get the best of you is to fight with you before noon.”
That, to Theo's correct assumption, pulled Lyra from her dozing. She sat up straight, practically jumping to attention, and barely avoided damaging Theo’s future ability to have children.
“How dare you?” Lyra sneered.
Theo noticed there was much less heat in it than in all the other times she had sneered at him, which were plenty.
“I’m sorry,” Theo grinned, not remotely apologetic as he climbed out of the sleeping bag, “but you'd be just as mad at me if I didn't wake you up. If we don't start moving, I’m sure, well…” Theo looked around at the suspiciously still river.
“I actually don’t know what would happen, but I'm sure you'll tell me.”
Lyra narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't argue. “You're right. We do need to get—”
“I’m sorry?” Theo stepped closer to Lyra, cupping his hand around his ear. “What was that?”
Lyra crossed her arms over her chest. “You have to be kidding. Please tell me you are not this immature.”
“I didn't hear you.” Theo was smiling from ear to ear. “Would you mind repeating that, please?”
Lyra took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, closing her eyes as she did so.
Theo had never imagined that one day he'd take such a delight out of intentionally antagonizing someone, but his banter with Lyra was enjoyable for a multitude of reasons.
The greatest of which was how beautiful Theo thought Lyra looked when she was angry.
“You are right.” Lyra sounded out the words, speaking slowly as if she were speaking a foreign language that Theo didn't understand. He was still grinning like a happy child at the admission, unbothered by Lyra's attempts to downplay it.
“Ah, I thought that was what you said.” Theo shrugged. “Carry on.”
Lyra looked ready to murder Theo, and the thrill of danger awakened parts of him in ways that he was sure Lyra wouldn’t appreciate. That assumption was incorrect, but it wasn't the time for those things.
“We can't stay in one place for very long,” Lyra continued, “especially after the kelpie. It seems the bounty on your head is just too damn good for some folks to ignore.”
Including myself, Lyra's thoughts stabbed at her heart, reminding her that, of all the people who were going after Theo, she was the worst. She was pretending to be his friend. More than that, based on the night they’d spent together already.
“Lead the way.” Theo agreed easily, bending down to start packing up their campsite.
Theo and Lyra were back on the trail within the hour, everything swiftly tucked away in Theo's pack and Lyra back in the water, swimming alongside Theo as they went.
The next few days were blessedly uneventful.
Emmett had replied to Theo’s messages with a vague response, assuring him they were working on a solution but offering no further insight into what that meant.
Lyra didn't engage Theo any further, keeping physical distance between them, and Theo didn't dare try to instigate anything.
He couldn't help but feel chided by Lyra's hot and cold nature, but he reminded himself that she owed him nothing, and one night together, as much as he might wish for more, absolutely did not entitle him to anything.
Lyra's mind was racing as they traveled in silence, the oppressive nature of their non-communication only giving her brain more time to race.
Her thoughts ran wild with guilt, growing heavier by every minute she spent in Theo's presence.
She wanted him, and what horrified her most was that she had already had him and still wanted him.
This was a new phenomenon to her and, by her own standards, terribly gauche.
Hadn’t her sister gotten captured by Cliodhna because she was messing around in matters of the heart? Lyra lived by the belief that carnal pleasures need not be more than that—carnal.
She was suffering through those agonizing first weeks of a crush, with the added guilt of knowing she originally volunteered to help Theo and had plans to betray him.
By the time they were set to reach the Scottish coast, Lyra was going out of her mind with guilt, and it manifested in a shorter temper than ever before. Theo was increasingly paranoid that he was bringing out the worst in Lyra, and overall, their spirits had sunk considerably.
Theo walked along the forest path until the dirt trail turned into sand and the trees around him started to disappear. The river turned to a stream, then barely a trickle, before picking up again into a rush of water pouring out into the sea.
By noon, they'd reached the coastline, and some of the tension in Lyra’s face faded.
Her eyes landed on the sea, and her shoulders relaxed, her countenance brightening as she inhaled the salty seawater.
Lyra stood on two legs, stepping out of the tributary and joining Theo in the sand before looking out at the horizon.
“Any thoughts on getting to the Blue Men of the Minch?” Theo looked at Lyra, his gaze full of as much admiration as she had for the sea.
“Not yet,” Lyra admitted, chewing on her lip as she scanned the waves. Their plan had held for a few days longer—there hadn't been any trouble since the kelpie—but they'd start moving even further away from safety when they were on the open sea. Lyra was not the biggest predator in the ocean.
Theo didn't push. He dropped his pack and settled onto a piece of driftwood, pulling some snacks from his bag and grabbing his phone to update Emmett on their location. Lyra left Theo alone and started walking up and down the coastline, clearly trying to come up with a plan.
Theo could feel the fear of his own ineptitude creeping up his spine again, a cold, icy feeling he was never good at ignoring. His eyes were fixed on Lyra at the shoreline until a small, dark shape caught his attention.
It bobbed up and down on the waves, getting closer every minute. The sun began to obscure Theo’s vision, and he squinted, trying to get a better view of the approaching object.
“Lyra!” he called out, getting her attention, and pointing towards the visitor.
Lyra didn't seem to know what it was, either. Theo got up and stood next to her in the sand as they stared out at the water.
“Do you know what it is?” Theo asked, getting up on his tiptoes, which did absolutely nothing to improve his vision but did look rather adorable. At least to Lyra, it did.
Her eyesight was better suited to looking long distances over water, the sun reflecting off the waves not hindering her as much as it did Theo.
“It's a person in a rowboat. That's all I can tell.”
They waited in silence as the person got closer and closer, picking up speed in a way that shocked them both. Theo found himself taking several steps backward as the boat rapidly approached the shore, showing no concern for the shallow water or the lack of a proper pier.
“They're going to run aground if they don't slow down!” Theo watched in awe. He could pick out the sharp ears and long hair of the stranger, so whoever they were, they were either fae or elf. That did not necessarily ease any of Theo's concerns.
“They're using magic,” Lyra pointed out, eyeing the approaching boat with skepticism that bordered on hostility. “Keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking,” Lyra instructed. As soon as the words left her mouth, the boat came to a halt.
It was a small rowboat, barely enough for four adults to fit in, and it floated easily on a few inches of water on the beach.
“Hello, strangers!” a friendly voice called out as an elf stood up from where they'd been manning the oars. Oars, which, based on the magic being utilized, were mainly for show. “I heard you needed a bit of help, eh?”