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My lungs ache, and I tap his arm, ready to swim back to the surface. But he doesn’t let go, and a moment later, I can breathe again as he makes an air bubble just big enough for the two of us.
“You’re still a cheater,” I tell him, wiggling in his arms, even though I know it’s pointless.
“You’re just a sore loser,” he says, chuckling as he pulls me tight to his chest and lights up the water around us. He’s not wrong, though; I do hate losing.
I watch in awe as he moves us through the water with ease. His control has grown over the years, almost as much as he has. When we were younger, he had to work a lot harder to use his elements. Now, it seems like second nature as he uses light, fire, and air, all without missing a beat.
We move deeper and deeper, much deeper than we ever dared when we were kids. It’s beautiful and so different from the shallow areas we had explored back then. At first, I thought we were simply exploring and enjoying things the way we used to. That is, until we reach the bottom.
In the center of the lake sits a giant beak. If I didn’t know better, I would think it belonged to a bird.
But I do know better.
“You saved me that day, Serena. You put your life on the line, and even though I wish you hadn’t put yourself in danger, I can’t help but be grateful for it so that I can be here with you now. But that wasn’t the first time you saved me. Before you, I was lost. The last of my kind, destined to rule with no motivation, no reason to want it. You gave me that. You gave me purpose. Long before you were my mate, you were my everything, and someday you will be my queen.” His words are little more than a whisper, though there’s no one around to hear.
I remember him telling me that. He used to say it all the time, but I’d always thought he was joking. Princes didn’t marry orphans, especially not ones whom the kingdom both hated and feared. He’d said it that same day when we fought the squid and almost died.
It’s not a joke anymore. I’m his mate, and he is the next in line for the throne. As much as the thought might scare the hell out of me, I can’t deny the thrill it gives me to know I’m his and he is mine.
“We fought and survived even as children. We’re older now, stronger, and we’re not alone anymore. You’re a survivor, Serena, and you’re a fighter. We will figure this out.”
“I’m the scariest thing in the water now,” I say absently as my mind takes me back to the night I came home to the creepy shadow man who told me something similar.
Ryker has been on my mind a lot since I woke up. Without him, I might still be trapped in the woods, wandering lost, or worse. I’d told the guys about him, kind of. I’d told them I’d had help from both Theo and him, but I hadn’t given them all the details, like his name or the amount of time I spent with him. I just told them that a guy found me in the woods and took me to one of the villages.
I feel guilty about it, but I also don’t know how to explain him to them. He was reserved, almost antisocial, but not unkind.
Garrett’s arms tighten around my waist as he pulls me closer, and I push all thoughts of Ryker away. He leans into me, resting his forehead against mine, and we share the same breath.
“My terrifying shadow queen,” he says, his voice deep and husky. The sound makes my breath catch as I look up at him through my lashes. I fight the need to squirm as my body heats, knowing it has nothing to do with his fire.
He’s so close, but something tells me he’s waiting for me to make the first move. I press up against him, so close it’s impossible not to feel his cock as it strains against his boxers into my stomach.
As much as I might want to explore more of him, I don’t want to rush. After all, I’ve only just got him back.
Instead, I settle for a kiss for now.
It’s our first kiss, and even as my body heats and I ache for him, for more, it’s otherworldly and all-consuming and reminds me that this is where I belong.
This is my home.
Serena insists she’s fine, though she has no idea what might have caused her to pass out and stay out for days; nobody does. I have her walk me through what happened at least a dozen times. The girl Theo, who gave her the horse, seems strange, but Serena said she wasn’t with her anymore when she passed out. She’d taken the horse and headed toward the castle. It wasn’t until later, when the horse no longer wanted to listen, that she dismounted, only for it to take off into the woods. One second, she was chasing after the horse, and the next, she was here.
I believe her. She has no reason to lie, but I can’t help feeling like something’s off. It just doesn’t sit right with me. Not to mention, if nothing happened to make her pass out, I have no desire to let her out of my sight.
Not that I ever really liked to before this.
Thankfully, it would appear I’m not the only one who wants to keep her close.
Over the last few days, we have had a crash course in the ways of this realm.
This morning, Rosalynn had us ‘run tests’ with our magic so that Darian–the king–could see how advanced we were. It was just a fancy way of saying they had us stand around and use them. Nothing was testing about it. According to the king, we had slightly above-average skills, but he believed we should all be able to access more with training simply because our beasts are those of old magic.
It was the same thing Rosalynn had already said and seemed like a waste of time, but who were we to tell the queen no? However, I can’t deny the thought of having access to advanced magic nobody else in the realm can wield is more than a little enticing.
After that, the king disappeared again. I hadn’t seen much of him before that, but from our few interactions, he seems resigned, though not unfriendly. It’s strange, considering his wife is about as opposite as possible, but then again, I guess Serena is the same with us.
Opposites attract and all that.
