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He nods, studying the length of my body with cerulean eyes.
“We’re in the Vexamen Prison, fell into a pool of drugged oil, and are pretty much hallucinating right now. I’m not exactly sure how we’re sharing a hallucination, though,” I breathe out.
“I don’t need an explanation to have time alone with you,” he says, low and twisted in the northern accent. “And I’m not surprised we’ve found ourselves in another human lodging of imprisonment.”
I laugh, blushing as he takes another step closer.
“I think we need to have positive thoughts in order to get out of here. I’m worried our friends would have jumped in after Dessin and me.”
He lifts his chin in understanding. “I see.”
“What are your happy thoughts, Aquarus?”
“The sunset glimmering off the ocean surface.”
“And?”
“Coral reefs at dawn.”
“Go on.”
“The way a shipwreck ages beautifully over time.”
I watch him, imagining all the magical sights he’s visited in the inner world.
“The bathtub,” he says finally.
“The bathtub,” I repeat.
He nods, unblinking as he doesn’t take his eyes from me.
“Have you given much thought to it?” I ask casually, kicking my foot in the dirt.
“For the first time, I’ve been eager to come to the front again. Because of the bathtub.”
The wind, carrying the scent of cedar and rain, brushes his long hair over one shoulder. And if possible, he looks even more ethereal than he did before. His stance, those calm, watchful eyes. I’m drawn in like a moth to a flame.
With two cautious steps, I reach my hand out to touch his face. That square jaw and coarse stubble. A large, iron hand seizes my palm, plucking it between two of his fingers. He examines it carefully, like he’s never seen a woman’s hand up close before. My wrist rotates slowly in his grasp, and his cool fingers snake up my skin, caressing me like he’s never felt anything so soft.
I can’t help but gasp as he pulls me forward, gently placing my open hand over his cheek. Aquarus exhales, like he’s waited a lifetime to be trapped here, against my palm.
“You’re so warm, little siren,” he rasps.
My stomach swarms with rabid butterflies. His cool skin tingles my nerve endings, sending a rush of adrenaline down to my lower belly.
In the distance, a murky hole opens to us. Flickers of light, brief roars of a cheering audience. Aquarus barely glances at it.
I narrow my eyes through the opening, catching a glimpse of Warrose holding Ruth in the sheen of the pool of oil.
“Warrose!” I scream, trying to break through his drugged haze. “You have to think of happy memories. You have to pull Ruth out of the hallucinations with positive thoughts!”
I don’t know if he hears me, but we need to try to get back.
“Aquarus, if we don’t make it back in time, we might drown.”
Even though he doesn’t believe he can drown, he shifts anyway, kissing the palm of my hand before entwining his fingers with mine, and running toward our way back to reality.
~
