Chapter 46 #2
A beast rose from the depths of the pool, squeezing itself out into the cavern.
“Em!” I shouted, grabbing onto his arm to prevent him from being pulled into the water. The monster towered over us, releasing a bloodcurdling screech as more of its appendages swung through the air above.
I launched a dagger, pinning one tentacle to the sharp sea glass wall, but another appendage snagged around my waist tightly and tore me away.
Emmerick let out a fierce growl and sliced through the tentacle binding his leg, severing it. He scrambled back, narrowly avoiding another assault as he tried to reach me.
Lifted from my feet, and with no way to retrieve another dagger, I kicked helplessly, attempting to free myself.
“Use the wind.” Cassidee’s advice sank in, and I focused on the sea monster’s arm reaching for Emmerick next.
A gust swept through the cave from the entry door and blew the beast’s tentacle away. Glass sliced through the sea monster’s skin and purple blood trickled down from where the beasts arm had been impaled. The sea monster screeched again.
My gust had disturbed the hanging glass above. The shards rattled together. Not good. Being rained on by glowing glass was not on my to-do list for tonight.
The beam of light in Emmerick’s hand grew, and he aimed it at the tentacle constricted around me. The smell of singed salty flesh made me gag as I fell to the ground.
The monster reared up with a deadly cry. We’d injured it, but that only seemed to fuel its bloodlust.
Glass fell in chunks overhead. It caved in first on the beast, striking it through the middle—a lethal blow.
The ground shook beneath my feet, and the sound of grinding stone told me the chamber door would close.
The glass threatened to crush us.
Fuck.
I grabbed Emmerick’s elbow and pulled him back as more shards fell onto his previous position. We ran for the entry as the beast screamed out in pain. Shattered sea glass hit my heels.
Emmerick grabbed me by the waist and thrust me under the closing door hard enough to get me to the other side. The effort caused him to fall to his knees just before reaching the lowering stone.
You noble fool, I wanted to shout.
He’d be crushed.
I lay on my side beyond the threshold, and his gaze met mine. His expression seemed to say goodbye.
Panic spurred me to quick action; losing him wasn’t an option.
I reached for his arm, grabbing it and pulling as hard as I could, willing the wind to help me get him out of that dreadful sea cave.
With enough momentum from both my strength and the gust, Emmerick flung forward and into me as the door to the chamber closed behind him. Pinned to the cool, damp stone ground, I attempted to catch my breath.
That was way too close.
I could have lost everything.
Emmerick’s eyes bore into mine as he propped himself up with a knee between my legs and his forearms on each side of my head.
“Are you alright?” He balanced on one arm and took my chin between his fingers, tilting my face to assess me for injury.
Darkness fell over us, but when my eyes adjusted to the moonlight peeking in from the cave entry, the weight of his worry struck me. His arm shook as the nerves ran their course.
“I’m fine,” I panted.
Only because you are, I thought to myself.
“You were almost crushed,” I gasped.
“You’re certain you’re fine?” He exhaled.
“Yes. A few bumps and scrapes is all. What were you thinking?”
Others cared about me—Krait, Sybilla, Fen. But there was something new about the way he put my pain first when it was he who’d almost died.
I held onto his tunic when he tried to lift himself from me.
His gaze burned into mine. “I was thinking I’d do anything to keep you safe.”
I drank in the relieved sigh he let out and didn’t break our locked stare. His lips hung open, and when his expression turned longing, I couldn’t take it anymore.
Reaching up, I clasped the back of his neck. How would it feel to draw his lips to mine?
I’d promised him I wouldn’t pursue him again.
Our labored breaths tangled together—dancing winds entwining. He dropped onto his forearms and laid his weight onto me, dipping down to brush his lips against mine, nudging them open.
A question.
He’d broken my promise for me.
Heat sank to my core, and I answered and dug my fingers into his hair and greedily angled his head to allow me to take his mouth. Mine.
Even if for just a moment, I could pretend he was made for no one else.
His deep groan of approval only heightened my arousal as our tongues met and we got our first taste of one another.
His knee between my legs hooked under one of my thighs and pushed it up. With my legs parted, he settled between them. Both of us moved against each other, seeking friction that, through heavy breeches, left only more wanting.
His heart beat heavily to the rhythm of mine, and I wrapped my free leg around him, pulling him against me harder.
I’d experienced many kisses. None had ever quite compared to the way he savoured me yet devoured me at the same time.
When we parted for air and he looked down at me, I couldn’t help but stifle a laugh of disbelief. The sobering reality that we were on the ground in a sandy cave didn’t even ruin the moment. If high tide was not fast approaching, I’d stay there all night.
“I kiss you, and you laugh? You know how to wound a man’s pride,” he huffed out as his forehead met mine.
I clung to him when he tried to rise and shook my head. “It’s a good laugh. You surprised me.”
His gaze darkened, and an irresistible smirk played across his features. “I have a feeling that’s hard to do.”
“It is. We’ve kissed so many times in my dreams, but those didn’t compare,” I blurted out. Heat rose to my cheeks.
That should have stayed an inside thought. He’d truly taken me off guard.
I finally untangled our legs to let him up. He offered me a hand to help me to my feet, and the heat of his palm made me miss the weight of him—the taste of him.
“Dreams, huh? What else were we doing in your dreams?” This shift in his demeanor, this flirtatious playfulness, made my thighs even slicker with desire.
“You were wearing far less,” I teased.
He still held my hand and squeezed my knuckles before he said, “So were you in mine.”
My heart skipped.
We’d save regrets for the light of morning—it seemed to be our new tradition.